Jade Disk
China
(Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture)
Jade Disk
Dateca. 2500 BCE
Mediumopaque cream jade with reddish-brown areas
Dimensionsobject: 3/8 x 4 1/2 in. (diam.) (1 x 11.4 cm)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Alex Liao
Object number2011.49.4
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
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE)
China
Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-8 CE)
