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NEOLITHIC JADE CONG; LIANGZHU CULTURE (circa 2500 BC) browse these categories for related items... Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Hardstones: Pre 1492: item # 600106 Please refer to our stock # j-4 when inquiring.
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| A VERY FINE NEOLITHIC JADE CONG; LIANGZHU CULTURE (circa 2500 BC) of a general type found in present day southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang provinces. A blackish nephrite jade cong with slightly concave sides and extremely fine incised decoration more typical of the small and very precisely worked cong found in Zhejiang province. It is believed that status and prestige were indicated by the intricacy of the decoration of these cong whereas size was the status indicator on those cong found in graves at Jiangsu province, the larger cong being typically less finely worked than these smaller cong. These cong are variations on a standard type wherein highly abstracted and stylized faces are enclosed within rectangular panels separated by very finely incised lines. There are six faces in this cong. Each face is spread across two sides of the cong, one eye to each side, so that the nostrils are represented at the corners and the faces are thus viewable from two corners only, three faces visible from each of the two respective corners. The central panel of each side represents a large-eyed monster. The elliptical shaped eyes are finely decorated. The corners of the central panel are notched to represent the monster’s nostrils, also intricately decorated. On earlier forms of this type of cong, the monster is always subdued by a smaller human-like figure wearing a feathered headdress, perhaps a priest or shaman. The design quickly evolved into a more stylized form, where the human figure was radically simplified and almost completely abstracted if not altogether absent, here represented only by tiny circles for the eyes and a bar for the nose. The human figure occupies the top and bottom register while the central panel containing the monster is definitely larger, more prominent and more elaborately decorated. This jade is a very fine example of its type in form, decoration and in its blackish color which on close inspection is not solid black but a pleasing tortoise-like color of mottled reds and browns. These jades were highly polished and the stone here retains some of its original polish. The surface pitting is minor and there no significant losses. Many of the photographs shown here are magnified which increases the appearance of tiny flaws but allows the viewer a better inspection of the surface. The color in natural light is closer to black and the appearance to the naked eye is more regular and uniform than what is seen in the photographs. The cong exhibits bi-conical drill marks, appearing to have been drilled from each end, the drilled passageway narrowing towards the inside center. Dimensions & Weight: approximately 4.8cm (1-7/8 inches) long; each concave side measuring approx. 1.7cm (3/16 inch); the drilled hole about 9mm in diameter on the outside. The cong weighs 39 grams (1.4 ounces). For an excellent discussion of Liangzhu Culture jade cong, please see Jessica Rawson’s excellent book “Chinese Jade From the Neolithic to the Qing” (ISBN0-7141-1469-3) particularly the sections “The Neolithic period” (p.28-35) and “Section 3; Cong; Liangzhu Culture; 4000-2500 B.C. (p. 122-129). ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. | ||
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