Jade. China, Late Neolithic, Longshan culture, C.2600-1900 BC玉璧 - 新石器時代晚期, 龍山文化, 約公元前 2600-1900年

DIAMETER: 16.1 CM, HOLE: 6.1 CM, THICKNESS: 0.2-0.4 CM外直徑 16.1 厘米，內直徑 6.1 厘米，厚 0.2-0.4 厘米

This interesting bi disc, that can be assigned to the late Neolithic period, Longshan culture, has a handsome colour combination. It was carved from a fine quality of bright green jade with some minor greyish marbling and brown markings on the smoothed edge, and it has a glossy finish, as seen on similar discs found in Longshan culture sites in Shaanxi province or, less frequently, at Taosi (c.2300-1900 BC) in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province. There is also a dense, whitish, but fine mottling that is more visible when focused light is shined through the piece. This almost completely flat disk is amazingly thin: its outer edge is only about 2 mm thick, and thus the jade remains perfectly translucent.

Published in F. Salviati, 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, Vienna 2017, no.85.

Expertise: Prof. Dr. Filippo Salviati

From an Austrian collection奧地利老佔有

All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and described by Prof. Fillipo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.