Draft catalogue entry (no. 11) for S2012.9.120 for the catalogue of the Singer collection (1970--1990); by Paul Singer
Trapezoidal plaque
Neolithic period, 3rd millennium BCE
Jade
Width 3 cm (1 3/16 in)
A masterpiece of jade carving, this trapezoidal plaque, with a fine horizontal line around the circumference, presents in miniature a form characteristic of late Neolithic Liangzhu 良渚 culture. The precise drilling of the three holes is remarkable. The opaque, creamy white stone has a few black specks; the high polish is completely intact without trace of erosion or evidence of the burial practice of burning.
Published: Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Ritual and Power: Jades of Ancient China (New York: China House Gallery, China Institute in America, 1988), no. 22.
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