Object: Disk (bi 璧) with incised glyph and decorated edge F1917.348

Classification: Ceremonial Object

Maker(s): Artist: Liangzhu culture 良渚 (ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE)

Historical period(s): Late Neolithic period, ca. 3300-2250 BCE

Object Date: ca. 3300-2250 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): Diam x D: 23.6 x 1.4 cm (9 1/4 x 9/16 in)

Origin: China, Lake Tai region, purportedly found at Anxi, Zhejiang province

Notes: purportedly found at Anxi, Zhejiang province

Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1917.348

: 廓外沿飾幾何紋刻符璧
新石器時代晚期良渚文化（公元前3300--2250年）
中國太湖地區，傳浙江安溪出土
軟玉
直徑23.6、厚1.4釐米；孔徑4.7釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾贈送
器物編號：F1917.348

Provenance: Reportedly excavated in Anki in Chekiang province [1]

To 1917
You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1917 [2]

From 1917 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi, in New York, in 1917 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] According to Curatorial Remark 2 in the object record.

[2] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1288, pg. 288, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[3] See note 2.

[4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous owner(s): You Xiaoxi 游篠溪 (C.L. Freer source) (late 19th-early 20th century)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

Description: Perforated disk of the type pi [bi] 璧; bored from both sides, leaving rough median ridge; darkly mottled green and golden brown; bluish-gray frosting and veins of incipient disintegration; scattered granular pittings; decoration: lightly incised, a device on obverse, birds, arrows and geometric pattern around outer rim.

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Past label text: 1. Ancient Chinese Jade, September 4, 1980–March 6, 1981; by Julia K. Murray (shown with F1917.79 and F1917.346; additional jades organized by types shown in same case)

2. Studies in Connoisseurship: 1923–1983, September 23, 1983–March 1, 1984; by Julia K. Murray (shown with F1917.79 and F1917.346; additional jades organized by types shown in same case)

When acquired, these three pi [bi] 璧 disks were attributed variously to the Han 漢 (F1917.79) and Chou [Zhou] 周 (F1917.346 and F1917.348) dynasties. In addition to their unusually fine polish, these pi [bi] 璧 are remarkable for the incised decoration, which appears on one surface about halfway between rim and center. The images are those of birds standing on emblematic forms. The outer rims of these three pi [bi] 璧 are slightly concave in profile, unlike the vast majority of pi [bi] 璧 which are straight edged.

Well-polished pi [bi] 璧 disks have been excavated from Neolithic remains in eastern China, indicating that the technical capability for such sophisticated workmanship already existed in prehistoric times. The Japanese scholar Hayashi Minao 林巳奈夫 has recently linked the incised emblems to the Liang chu [Liangzhu] 良渚 culture, primarily on the basis of similar motifs executed in other media—pottery, bone, and wood. However, no jade pi [bi] 璧 exactly like the present examples have been excavated thus far, and their attribution to the Liang chu [Liangzhu] 良渚 culture remains tentative.

3. Ancient Chinese Art, May 9, 1993–May 18, 1998; by Jenny F. So (shown with F1917.346, F1917.79, F1917.65, F1917.385, F1916.118, F1916.410)
Ritual disk, Bi 璧
China, Liangzhu 良渚 culture
Neolithic period, ca. 3500–3000 BCE
Jade (nephrite)

In addition to the bird-and-shield emblem on the flat surface of the disk, two flying birds, two motifs resembling fish skeletons, and angular spirals are engraved around the outer perimeter.

4. Liangzhu 良渚 and its Legacy, November 4, 2010–January 3, 2016; by Keith Wilson (shown with F1917.79, F1917.346, and F1917.385)
Inscribed bi 璧 disks and bracelet
Neolithic period, Liangzhu 良渚 culture, ca. 3300–2250 BCE
Jade (nephrite)

These disks and bracelet are each marked by extremely rare pictographic inscriptions that probably signify clan ownership. Two of the three bi 璧 were purportedly found at the same site at Anxi 安溪 in Zhejiang 浙江 province, near the geographic center of the Liangzhu 良渚 culture. Each has a similar design that combines a bird in profile on a stepped geometric base containing solar symbols. The sun and moon appear together on one side of the bracelet (F1917.385), opposite a design possibly showing a flying bird with outstretched wings. Although these incised marks cannot be called true writing, a similar pictorial approach is evident in the earliest known Chinese written characters.

The bi 璧 at the top (F1917.348) is one of the few Liangzhu 良渚 disks with a decorated edge. Faintly described in sunken lines, the design features pairs of birds and fish separated by bands of finely incised scroll patterns.

Liangzhu 良渚 jade bi 璧
Thousands of jade bi 璧, too large to be worn as jewelry, have been unearthed in elite burial sites associated with the Liangzhu 良渚 culture. Variations are apparent in the size of the disks, the quality of the stone used, the level of workmanship, and the finish of the bi 璧, yet their meaning, purpose, and ritual significance remain unknown. A century ago Charles Lang Freer acquired all of these bi 璧 largely for their aesthetic appeal at a time when nothing was known of the Liangzhu 良渚 culture.

Usually fashioned from even-grained dark nephrite, the most exceptional examples of bi 璧 are perfectly circular in circumference. On some, traces of sawing and grinding have been completely polished away, and the smooth surfaces are buffed to a lustrous shine. In many cases, however, the flawed stone is irregular in shape, and the disk still retains intriguing evidence of its manufacture.

Working jade is an extremely laborious process that involves both slicing and removing unwanted stone with powdered abrasive minerals, such as quartz, garnet, or corundum. Slabs were cut from boulders of jade probably found in river beds. The back-and-forth movement of flexible string or strap saws typically left traces of shallow concave cut marks. A rigid stone saw might have shaped the outer edges with a series of straight cuts. Hollow tubular bits, aided by mineral abrasives and water, could have been used to drill the central hole from both sides of the disk to avoid breakage. A tiny projecting ridge inside the hole remains if the drill bits were improperly aligned. To finish the bi 璧, the outer edge might have been turned on a lathe. Lastly, the surface was polished with fine abrasives to create a high sheen.

5. (Keith Wilson, "Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades," Gallery 19, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Oct. 14, 2017 to Apr 15, 2018)

Bi with decorated edge
China, late Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300–2250 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
Gift of Charles Lang Freer F1917.348

Making a Mark
These disks, tube, and bracelet are all marked by extremely rare pictographic inscriptions. Most possess a stepped geometric frame that contains a round element thought to represent the sun. In some instances, a bird perches on top. The sun and moon appear together on one side of the bracelet; opposite them might be a flying bird with outstretched wings. All of these inscriptions could refer to clan ownership.

Although these marks cannot be called true writing, the earliest known Chinese characters take a similar pictorial approach.

Curatorial Remarks

1. Bought from Seaouke Yue [You Xiaoxi] 游筱溪, of Shanghai 上海, in New York. For price, see Original Miscellaneous List, p. 288. $230.

2. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Original attribution: Chinese. Shang 商. See further, S.I. 1288, Appendix VIII. Excavated in Anki [Anxi] 安溪 in Chekiang [Zhejiang] 浙江 province.

3. (Archibald Gibson Wenley, 1945) Chou [Zhou] 周 dynasty.

4. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 3.016. Nephrite.

5. (Isabel Ingram Mayer, 1946) The device is in the form of a long tailed bird perched on a shield like stand with crenellated top and crescent shaped base, the field decorated with a sun or circle filled with spiral forms. Cf. the device on F1917.79, and also that on F1917.346 for similarities of bird and stand, see also devices on F1919.58 and F1917.385.

6. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Western Chou [Zhou] 周.

7. (Julia K. Murray, 1980) From Ancient Chinese Jade exhibition label: Attribution changed from Western Chou [Zhou] 周 to Neolithic, ca. 2000 BCE, traditional Chekiang [Zhejiang] 浙江 provenance.

8. (Julia K. Murray, 1983) For further discussion of the motif incised on the surface of this pi [bi] 璧, see Folder Sheet F19 17.346. Also, see Folder Sheet F1917.19 for a discussion of pi [bi] 璧. There is another design lightly incised on the narrow rim of this pi [bi] 璧 consisting of two birds seen from above and two fishbone motifs. The motifs appear in alternation, one per quadrant along the rim. Between motifs there is a loosely organized meander or fret pattern somewhat resembling lei wen [leiwen] 雷紋 (for illustration, see Hayashi Minao 林巳奈夫, "Ryōsho bunka no gyokki jakkan o megutte 良渚文化の玉器若干をめぐって = Jade of the Liang-chu Culture," Museum 360 [1981], fig. 28). On a pi [bi] 璧 of similar proportion in the Victoria and Albert Museum [A.42-1936], there is also a design incised along the rim, but it does not include the fishbone, only the meander and the bird seen from above. (The pi [bi] 璧 is included in The Arts Council of Great Britain and The Oriental Ceramic Society, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages [London: Oriental Ceramic Society, 1975], cat. 30; the rim motif is mentioned but not reproduced.)

9. (Undated Folder Sheet note) See F1916.628 [Decorative fitting for an ornamental comb], no. 10.

10. (Undated Folder Sheet note) See F1917.79 no. 12.

11. (Stephen Allee per Keith Wilson, February 26, 2008) On this date entered: Period One (Late Neolithic period), Date (ca. 5000--ca. 1700 BCE), Artist (Liangzhu 良渚 culture), Title, Object name, Geographical region (Lake Tai 太湖 region); plus Description per Jenny F. So and Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.

12. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 17, 2008) Ceremonial Objects added as secondary classification.

13. (Stephen Allee March 23, 2009) Added designation "nephrite" to Medium as per Janet Douglas using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (January 8, 2009).

14. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 10, 2010) Title changed from "Disk (bi 璧) with incised glyph" to "Disk (bi 璧) with incised glyph and decorated edge."

15. (Jeffrey Smith, April 7, 2016) Transferred from Description: (Jenny So, from Jade Project Database) Mottled dark green and golden brown. Biconical hole, drilled off-center, with ridge at meeting point or drill bits. Almost perfectly round, outer vertical wall ground gently concave. Surface polished even and smooth, minor ships at rim. Emblem showing bird on top of rectangular shield-shape with stepped top. Roundel with seven spirals arranged in floral configuration in center of shield. Thing arc supports shield at bottom. Incisions shallowly executed in short strokes. Cloud-shaped motif on other face. Concave outer rim with two sets of loose angular meanders, two birds, and two fish skeleton/grain stalk alternating one per quadrant.

(File folder) Perforated disc of the type "bi.' Bored from both sides leaving rough median ridge. Darkly mottled green and golden-brown; bluish gray frosting and veins of incipient disintegration. Scattered granular pittings. Decoration: lightly incised, a device on obverse, birds, arrows and geometric pattern around outer rim. Box.

Published References

Alfred Salmony. Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty. New York, 1963. pl. 7, fig. 1.
Minao Hayashi. Chugoku kodai no sakegame., reprint: Kokogaku zasshi, vol. 65, no. 2 (1979) pp. 97-118. Tokyo, 1979. pl. 22.
J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Grace Dunham Guest, Archibald Gibson Wenley. Annotated Outlines of the History of Chinese Arts. Washington, 1949. p. 6.
Na Chih-liang. "玉器通史." Yu ch'i t'ung shih [A General Study of Chinese Jade]. Hong Kong, 1965. p. 7, fig. 10.
Julia Murray. Neolithic Chinese Jades in the Freer Gallery of Art. vol. 14, no. 11 Hong Kong, November 1983. p. 16.
Shuping Deng. Tianming xuanniao, jianger shengshang: guyu huawen suo fanying de gudai xinyang. no. 42 Taipei, 1986. p. 19, fig. 5.
Minao Hayashi. Jade of the Liang-chu Culture. no. 360 Tokyo, March 1981. p. 28, fig. 3.
Shuping Deng. Liangzhu yuqi shang de shenmi fuhao. no. 117 Taipei, 1992. p. 32, fig. 9.
Wu Hung. Bird Motifs in Eastern Yi Art. vol. 16, no. 10 Hong Kong, October 1985. p. 35.
Elizabeth Childs-Johnson. Dragons, Masks, Axes and Blades from Four Newly-documented Jade-producing Cultures of Ancient China. vol. 19, no. 4 Hong Kong, 1988. p. 36, fig. 22.
Shuping Deng. Guyu de renshi he shangxi: You Gaomeiguan zhanlan tanqi. no. 141 Taipei, 1994. p. 53.
Chuping Dong. Liangzhu wenhua chuangshi shenhua buzheng. no. 174, 1997. p. 77, fig. 1.
Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Fang Gu. Yuqi shidai: Meiguo bowuguan cang Zhongguo zaoqi yuqi [The Jade Age: Early Chinese Jades in American Museums]. Beijing, 2009. pp. 82-83.

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Disk (bi 璧) with incised glyph and decorated edge

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