Jades for Life and Death

: 璧
新石器時代晚期齊傢文化（公元前2250--1900年）
中國西北
軟玉
直徑13.9、厚0.6釐米
亞瑟 M. 賽克勒贈送
器物編號：S1987.924

Provenance: From as early as 1931
Wells Objects of Art (C. Edward Wells), New York, NY [1]

To 1964
Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY mode of acquisition unknown [2]

1964 to 1987
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY purchased from Frank Caro Chinese Art on August 27, 1984 in New York, NY [3]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler in 1987 [4]

Notes:

[1] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009. Copy of the document in the accession file. C. Edward Wells operated Wells Objects of Art on Madison Avenue and specialized in Asian fine art. He incorporated his shop in July 1931.

[2] Object included on invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art, addressed to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, 29 September 1966, inventoried as “W 153A”: Jade Large Huang, greenish with brown splashes, Shang, Diam: 5-1/2 ins.”

[3] Arthur M. Sackler purchased the object from Frank Caro Chinese Art on 29 September 1966, copy of invoice located in accession file.

[4] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

Previous owner(s): Wells Objects of Art
C. Edward Wells (1898-1991)
Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

Description: Central hole slanted. Ridge on one side of outer edge. Light green translucent jade with darker markings in brown and tan. Chipped on outer edge.

Past label text: In Praise of Ancestors, September 28, 1987–January 5, 1989; by Thomas Lawton (shown with S1987.453, S1987.929, S1987.743, S1987.887, S1987.468)
Bi 璧, Ritual Disk
Ca. 2500 BCE, Late Neolithic period
Jade

Curatorial Remarks

1. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 8, 2008) Ceremonial Objects added as secondary classification.

2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, April 20, 2010) Object name changed from "Disk (bi 璧)" to "Ceremonial Objects." Title changed from "Ritual disk, bI 璧" to "Disk (bi 璧)."

3. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, April 13, 2016) Qijia culture, Northwest China.

Published References

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Disk (bi 璧)