East Asia, China, Shang Dynasty, ca. 1558 to 1046 BCE. A fine ritual funerary item known as a "cong," hand-carved from mottled beige-hued nephrite jade with grey, citrine, and black inclusions. The cong exhibits a square form, four projecting corners with smooth contours between the shoulders and squat rim, and a wide ring drilled through the center. This cong was formed via 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: 2.5" W x 1.8" H (6.4 cm x 4.6 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. Jade 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 nephrite jade 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, acquired over 20 years ago; ex-Peter Rosenberg collection, Vallin Gallery, Connecticut, USA
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#147653
Condition
Intact and excellent with only minor nicks to corners and rims.