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THBBeautiful Chinese Shang Dynasty Stone Cong
Lot 131b
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $3,500
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Mar 21, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-03-21 10:00:00
2019-03-21 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Fine Ancient | Asian | Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-ancient-asian-ethnographic-art-3967
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe, plus fine art. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe, plus fine art. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (383)
- Lot Description
East Asia, China, Shang Dynasty, ca. 1558 to 1046 BCE. A stunning and finely-formed ritual funerary item known as a "cong," carved by hand from a creamy yellow hardstone with beige and light-grey inclusions. The cong bears a square form, a circular opening drilled through the center, and four projecting corners with sharply-grooved contours. Each of the exterior corners boasts a pair of incised abstract faces, one with minimalist eyes and a broad headband filled with intricate curvilinear motifs, and the other with enormous egg-shaped eye panels filled with similarly-intricate motifs. This cong was formed through a meticulous carving and smoothing process using awls, drills, and abrasives of varying fineness, and boasts an incredibly smooth surface which is pleasing to the touch. Size: 2.7" W x 2.1" H (6.9 cm x 5.3 cm).
During the Shang dynasty, members of the royalty were accompanied in the afterlife by their bronzes, ceramics, weapons, amulets, and ornaments, and even the human and animal entourage that surrounded them in life. Fine stone items like this one formed part of the decoration of these tombs and seem to have been reserved for the most elite people in society. The funerary function of congs like this example probably had a religious connotation. Some scholars of Chinese Neolithic history and anthropology posit that the cong is "...based on the ancient Chinese notion that earth was square and heaven round, while the hole in the object represents the passage connecting heaven and earth." (Weichao, Yu. "A Journey into China's Antiquity - Volume 1: Palaeolithic Age - Spring and Autumn Period." National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, China, 1997, p. 80)
Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#144595Light abrasions to surfaces, with a small chip to one corner, and minor softening to some incised details, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits within some incised details.Condition
- Shipping Info
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