Currently indexing
Jade Disk
Place of originChina
China
(Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture)
Jade Disk
Dateca. 3000-2000 BCE
Mediumwhitish-gray jade with veined surface and brownish speckles
Dimensionsobject: 5/8 x 4 3/4 in. (diam.) (1.6 x 12.1 cm)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Alex Liao
Object number2011.49.2
Collection
- Asian
Sub-Collection(s)
- Chinese
On View
On viewLabel TextJade working is among the oldest and most enduring artistic traditions in China. Prized for its nearly indestructible hardness, the jade disks (bi) here are likely among the earliest objects made specifically for rituals associated with burials during the Neolithic period. In later recorded history, bi disks came to signify the realm of heaven and were associated with power and status.
China, Xian and Xianyang region
Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE)
Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
