1. (Jan Stuart, Acquisition Justification, December 2002)
Bi 璧 disk
China, Han 漢 dynasty
Jade
0.7 cm H x 27.3 cm Diam
(1/4 in x 10 3/4 in)
Offered by the Estate of Mrs. Katharine Graham
Description:
This disk carved almost identically on both sides has a large central aperture bordered by a narrow, undecorated ring, followed by a wider band filled with bovine-like monster masks, stylized bodies, and interlocked crested birds. This "animal band" is ringed by a narrow twisted rope border followed by a wide band filled with comma spirals arranged in a regular grid pattern. A narrow, undecorated ring encircles the outer edge of the disk.
Impact on the collection:
While the elements of this disk are standard in the Han 漢 period, the arrangement of the design is slightly unusual. On most Han 漢 disks, the decorated bands appear in the reverse order, with the comma spiral band closest to the aperture and the animal band on the outside. Han 漢 disks seem to have been decorated with some degree of flexibility and this disk is a handsome example of the range of designs that can be found.
Moreover, this disk has been deemed worthy of inclusion by Jenny F. So in her forthcoming book on the Freer and Sackler's ancient jades. As Jenny F. So remarks, "It is one of just two of this type--with two zoned design combining raised commas and interlacing dragon and bird motifs--that I have chosen to include among the 'Selected Highlights' in my catalogue. It is also a good size (i.e., large enough) since most other disks of this type tend to be smaller." According to Jenny F. So, the most closely related object in the galleries' collections is S1987.923, which she describes as "different in that its raised commas are faceted (like a cut gem) and not simply accented by incised commas as on the Graham disk."
In my view, the somewhat unusual design on the Graham bi 璧 and its large size both argue for inclusion in the Freer collection. The design does not duplicate, but rather augments the collections' other Han 漢 jade disks. The Freer and Sackler have a group of bi disks that form a ready made context in which to display this object, and its addition will help the Gallery expand its ability to illustrate variety in Han 漢 lapidary work. Moreover, the provenance from Katharine Graham, and ultimately from her parents, the Meyers, creates another link with the Freer Gallery.
I also recommend that the late 19th--early 20th century, custom made box for the bi 璧 be kept in the collection as an accessory. The box is an excellent example of its kind and represents the fashion for storing and exhibiting jades from the late-19th to early-20th century.
As a point of interest, this jade was originally selected by Thomas Lawton (in 1995) for the Freer collection.
Comparisons in other collections:
For related disks, see a Western Han 漢 bi 璧 published in Zhongguo yuqi quanji bianji weiyuanhui 中國玉器全集編輯委員會, Zhongguo yuqi quanji 中國玉器全集 (Shijiazhuang: Hebei meishu chubanshe, 1992), vol. 4, p. 24, which presents a variation of the design on the Graham disk. It features a large central aperture ringed by a band of stylized animal bodies and heads, followed by a ring of comma shaped spirals. The major difference from the Graham disk is that the narrow border separating the two design fields in the published disk consists of an open channel that runs between three animal heads that connect the inner and outer rings.
Other related bi 璧 disks are decorated with three wide bands that usually appear as a ring of stylized animals closest to the aperture, followed by a narrow, twisted rope border, in turn followed by a field of comma spirals, another narrow, twisted rope border and on the outside a band of animal masks. (One of many such examples appears in Zhonghua wuqiannian wenwu jikan: yu qi pian, Han dai 中華五千年文物集刊:玉器篇(漢代) (Taibei: Zhonghua wuqiannian wenwu jikan bianji weiyuanhui, 1991).
2. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 8, 2008) Ceremonial Object added as secondary classification.
3. (Stephen Allee, March 23, 2009) Changed Medium "Green jade" to "Jade (nephrite)" as per Janet Douglas using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (January 8, 2009). As per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, changed Date from "Han 漢 dynasty" to "Western Han 漢 dynasty" with Date "BCE 206--9 CE." Added Dimensions as per Christine Lee, Jade Project Database.
4. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 10, 2010) Added ". . . with knobs, masks and birds" to Title.
5. (R. Anderson per Jeffrey Smith, December 3, 2010) Transfer of remark(s) from Provenance Field: "1. (Jan Stuart, December 2002) From the Estate of Mrs. Katharine Graham and ultimately from her parents."
6. (Jennifer Bright per Jeffrey Smith, March 8, 2022) transferred from description:
"(1) (Jan Stuart, December 2002) This disk, carved almost identically on both sides, has a large central aperture bordered by a narrow, undecorated ring, followed by a wider band filled with bovinelike monster masks, stylized bodies, and interlocked crested birds. This "animal band" is ringed by a narrow twisted-rope border followed by a wide band filled with comma spirals arranged in a regular grid pattern. A narrow, undecorated ring encircles the outer edge of the disk.
(2) (Jenny So, Jade Project Database) Disk with 2-zoned layout, commas, and interlacing frontal "dragons."
(3) (Described in the Last Will and Testament of Katharine Graham, 2002) Large Green Archaic Jade Bi Disk
Lightly carved with entwined sinuous birds alternating with stylized bovine masks, encircled by a rope-twist band before faceted studs incised with rice-grain spirals, the greenish stone with icy white inclusions and russet veins
Diameter: 10 5/8"
Labeled no. 34"
7. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, June 7, 2023) Title changed from "Disk (bi) with knobs, masks and birds" to "Disk (bi) with raised uniform curls arranged in a grid and masks with interlaced birds"; and added Chinese Translation by Jingmin Zhang.
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