Object: Disk (bi) with raised pyramids arranged in a grid F1939.32

Classification: Ceremonial Object

Historical period(s): Western Han dynasty, 206 BCE-9 CE

Object Date: 206 BCE-9 CE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): Diam x D: 11.1 × 0.6 cm (4 3/8 × 1/4 in) Diam (Hole): 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in)

Origin: China

Credit Line: Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1939.32

: 凸面網格錐紋璧
西漢（公元前206--公元9年）
中國
軟玉
直徑18.6、厚0.5釐米；孔徑4.4釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾基金捐購
器物編號：F1939.32

Provenance: To 1939
Zhang Naiji (1899–1948), Shanghai, China, and New York, NY, from at least February 1939 [1]

From 1939
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased through C. T. Loo and Company, New York, NY, from Zhang Naiji on April 17, 1939 [3]

Notes:
[1] See object information sheet and “List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art,” approved on February 1, 1939, Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, copy in object file. According to an annotation on the list, the purchase was made from C. T. Loo and Company, New York, acting as agent for the owner and the payment was made on April 17, 1939. Zhang Naiji (also known as N. C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938. Zhang did not return to China until 1946. While the earliest documentation of Zhang’s ownership of the jade dates to February 1939, we know that he acquired the objects in China before his departure.

The object was said to have been excavated in Shou xian, Anhui province based on the information provided by Zhang Naiji to John Ellerton Lodge at the time of acquisition, see John Ellerton Lodge’s note, 1939, in F1939.6 object file. However, the original attribution to Late Zhou dynasty has been changed to Han dynasty and the Shou xian provenance has been ruled out.

[2] See “List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art,” cited in note 1.

Previous owner(s): Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)
C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)
C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 (1880-1957)

Curatorial Remarks

1. Bought through C. T. Loo and Company, New York, NY, from Chang Nai chi [Zhang Naiji] 張乃驥. For price, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920.
2. (John Ellerton Lodge, 1939) See Folder Sheet F1939.6, Paragraph 2.
In proportion, this is a typical pi [bi] 璧 (see Folder Sheet F1939.14, Paragraph 3), -- more specifically, a p'u-pi [pubi] 蒲璧, with reference to the cane (p'u [pu] 蒲) design. The perforation is very slightly conical.
3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.936. Advance decomposition prevents accurate calculation for nephrite.
4. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Attribution changed from "Late Chou [Zhou] 周" to "Han 漢 dynasty."
5. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 8, 2008) "Ceremonial Object" added as secondary classification.
6. (Stephen Allee, June 2, 2009) Corrected name of previous owner from Zhang Naiqi to Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 and added Chinese characters, as well as his life dates (1899--1948) and a brief biography.
7. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, June 6, 2023) Title changed from "Perforated disc of nearly opaque cream-white nephrite with dark flecks" to "Disk (bi) with raised pyramids arranged in a grid"; Period One changed from "Han dynasty" to "Western Han dynasty"; Date changed from "206-220 BCE" to "206 BCE-9 CE"; and added Chinese Translation by Jingmin Zhang.

Published References: Published References are currently unavailable.

SI Usage Statement

Usage conditions apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections..

Save this image | Request Permission | Terms of use

Disk (bi) with raised pyramids arranged in a grid

Related Objects

Web Resources