Jade. China, Eastern Zhou, 4th – 3rd century BC獸面紋桶形玉墜 - 東周時代, 公元前4世紀-前3世紀

Length: 3.6 cm長 3.6 厘米

This bead, carved from a creamy white jade with a slightly brownish hue, is barrel-shaped, like JAK917-027, but it has a flatter profile and its cross-section is oval, not round. Two pairs of animal masks are carved on each side of the bead and near the edges, which are marked by a narrow band with incised, parallel lines. The masks are reminiscent of the taotie饕餮motif that is frequently seen in late Shang dynasty (c.13th - 11th century BC) art: two long, straight horns with curled ends extend above the head, the eyes are separated by a straight nose with rounded nostrils and an open mouth is suggested at the bottom. On both sides of the bead, the space between the masks is filled with fat c-shaped curls and stylized dragon heads, while back to back vertical scrolls are carved along the sides. A straight hole is drilled through the centre. The flat ends are highly polished and smooth and the surface presents occasional black spots.

Literature comparison/Archaeological sites: In shape and decoration, this bead can be compared to a similar one published in F. Salviati, 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, Edition Zacke, Vienna 2017, no.240.

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.