Object: One-tier tube (cong 琮) with masks F1919.47

Classification: Ceremonial Object

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

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

Object Date: ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 3.7 x 7.6 x 7.5 cm (1 7/16 x 3 x 2 15/16 in) Diam (hole): 6.3 cm (2 7/16 in)

Origin: China, Lake Tai region

Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1919.47

: 人面紋單節琮
新石器時代晚期良渚文化（公元前3300--2250年）
中國太湖地區
軟玉
高3.7、寬7.6、厚7.5 釐米；孔徑6.3 釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾贈送
器物編號：F1919.47

Provenance: To 1919
You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1919 [1]

1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi, in New York, in 1919 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1425, pg. 339, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] 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: Squared, hollow cylinder of the type ts'ung [cong] 琮; narrow projecting collar at both ends, irregular on one end; mottled brown and tan, partially covered with cream coating that almost hides the decoration—channeled and incised, circles, bands of fine lines and grooves, traces of meander pattern.

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Past label text: 1. Liangzhu 良渚 and its Legacy, November 4, 2010–January 3, 2016; by Keith Wilson (shown with F1917.384, F1916.118, F1916.499, F1917.65, F1918.14, F1917.95, F1916.410, F1917.41, F1919.51)
Cong 琮
China, Liangzhu 良渚 culture, ca. 3300–2250 BCE, late Neolithic period
Jade (nephrite)

These jade cong 琮 tubes with a square cross-section bored with a central hole are now considered an innovation of the Liangzhu 良渚 culture. Cong 琮 come in a great variety of sizes and are frequently found in Liangzhu 良渚 tombs, sometimes arranged with other jades in a circle around the body. The original meaning and function of these ritual forms remain unknown. Many of the earliest and most carefully finished examples (the result of months of laborious shaping by hand) are comparatively compact; their rounded shapes suggest the form evolved from bracelets. On two of the cong 琮 here (F1916.118, F1917.384), the haunting mask design—with its bar-shaped mouth, raised oval eyes, sunken round pupils, and two bands that might indicate a headdress—resembles the motif seen on Liangzhu 良渚 jewelry.

Much larger cong 琮, which are frequently made of lower-quality nephrite, emphasize impressive scale over meticulous workmanship. They have flatter sides, sharply angled corners, and squared collars at top and bottom—all indications that less time and attention were paid in shaping a rectangular block of jade. Simplified mask motifs on these cong 琮 would have been easier to produce as well. Such shifts might be associated with changing attitudes towards ritual objects that were intended for burial.

The cong 琮 form continued in use long after the Liangzhu 良渚 culture flourished, but later Neolithic and Bronze Age examples (such as F1917.41, F1919.51) are typically smaller and undecorated, suggesting their diminished importance in burial rituals.

Museum founder Charles Lang Freer acquired these cong 琮 largely for their aesthetic appeal: he simply liked the way they look. Freer was attracted to their intriguing shapes, smooth surfaces, and mottled colors. A century ago, when these cong 琮 appeared on the international art market, little was known about their historical, cultural, or archaeological significance. Today these mysterious tubes, along with most of the other objects in this room, are recognized as being among the most important jades from the Liangzhu 良渚 culture now outside China.

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

Cong
China, late Neolithic period and Shang dynasty, ca. 3300–1050 BCE
Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300–2250 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
Gift of Charles Lang Freer F1919.47

What Was It For?
An innovation of the Liangzhu culture, these jade cong (pronounced tsung) tubes are the result of months of laborious shaping by hand. Various sizes are found in Liangzhu tombs, sometimes arranged with other jades in a circle around the body. While their original meaning and function remain unknown, the circular shape of many early examples suggests the form evolved from bracelets. Look for a haunting mask design, with a bar-shaped mouth, raised oval eyes, and sunken round pupils.

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. 339. $250

2. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Original attribution: Chinese. Chou [Zhou] 周. See further, S.I. 1425, Appendix IX.

3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.831.

4. (Isabel Ingram Mayer, 1946) Chou [Zhou] 周 dynasty (?).

5. (Elisabeth West Fitzhugh, 1956) Nephrite. Film F273, x-ray diffraction.

6. (H. Elise Buckman, 1964) The Envelope File contained no further information, and has now been destroyed.

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

8. (Julia K. Murray, 1982) The band-and-circle design on ts'ung [cong] 琮 F1919.47 is probably an abstract and simplified version of the masklike motif found on ts'ung [cong] 琮 F1916.118 (see Folder Sheet), a type of decor that appears on a few artifacts belonging to the Liang-chu [Liangzhu] 良渚 phase of the East Coast Neolithic culture. The eyes in the "full" form of the motif consist of a pair of large, raised ovals each with a small, incised circle. On ts'ung [cong] 琮 F1919.47, however, the eyes are reduced to two small, concentric, incised circles (some of which are hardly visible). The simplification in itself is not a sign of later date because the simplified form is found on tall ts'ung [cong] 琮 also excavated from the late Liang-chu [Liangzhu] 良渚 remains in Kiangsu [Jiangsu] 江蘇 at Wu hsien [Wu xian] 吳縣 Ts'ao-hsieh-shan [Caoxieshan] 草鞋山 (see Nanking po-wu-yuan [Nanjing bowuyuan] 南京博物院, "Kiangsu Wu hsien Ts'ao-hsieh-shan i-chih [Jiangsu Wu xian Caoxieshan yizhi] 江蘇吳縣草鞋山遺址," Wen-wu tzu-liao ts'ung-k'an [Wenwu ziliao congkan] 文物資料叢刊 3 [1980], p. 12) and Wu-chin [Wujin] 武進 Ssu-tun [Sidun] 寺墩 (see Nanking po-wu-yuan [Nanjing bowuyuan] 南京博物院, "Kiangsu Wu-chin Ssu-tun i-chih ti shih-chueh [Jiangsu Wujin Sidun yizhi de shijue] 江蘇武進寺墩遺址的試掘," K'ao-ku [Kaogu] 考古 1981.3, pls. 2:4--5); and in Shih-hsia [Shixia] 石峽 cultural remains in Kwangtung [Guangdong] 廣東 province at Ch'u-chiang [Qujiang] 曲江 Shih-hsia [Shixia] 石峽 (see Kwangtung sheng po-wu-kuan [Guangdong sheng bowuguan] 廣東省博物館 and Ch'u-chiang hsien wen-hua-chu Shih-hsia fa-chueh hsiao-tsu [Qujiang xian wenhuaju Shixia fajue xiaozu] 曲江縣文化局石峽發掘小組, "Kwangtung Ch'u-chiang Shih-hsia mu-tsang fa-chueh chien-pao [Guangdong Qujiang Shixia muzang fajue jianbao] 廣東曲江石峽墓葬發掘簡報," Wen-wu [Wenwu] 文物 1978.7, p. 15, figs. 31 and 34). The tall ts'ung [cong] 琮 merely show the motif replicated in several horizontal registers (for discussion, see Folder Sheet F1916.410). Ts'ung [cong] 琮 F1919.47 is most similar to the low ts'ung [cong] 琮 found at Shih-hsia [Shixia] 石峽 (Kwangtung sheng po-wu-kuan [Guangdong sheng bowuguan] 廣東省博物館 and Ch'u-chiang hsien wen-hua-chu Shih-hsia fa-chueh hsiao-tsu [Qujiang xian wenhuaju Shixia fajue xiaozu] 曲江縣文化局石峽發掘小組, "Kwangtung Ch'u-chiang Shih-hsia mu-tsang fa-chueh chien-pao [Guangdong Qujiang Shixia muzang fajue jianbao] 廣東曲江石峽墓葬發掘簡報," Wen-wu [Wenwu] 文物 1978.7, p. 15, fig. 34), which has just one register of band-and-circle designs.

Attribution is changed from Western Chou [Zhou] 周 to Neolithic.

9. (Stephen Allee per Keith Wilson, March 3, 2008) On this date entered: Period One (Late Neolithic period), Date (3300--2250 BCE), Artist (Liangzhu 良渚 culture), Title, Object name, Geographical region (Lake Tai 太湖 region); plus Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.

10. (Stephen Allee, May 29, 2008) Added designation "nephrite" to Medium as per Elisabeth West Fitzhugh, October 1956, as determined by x-ray diffraction, and Janet Douglas, April 1996, as determined by infrared spectroscopy.

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

12. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, April 20, 2010) Title changed from "Short tube (cong 琮)" to "Tube (cong 琮) with masks."

Unpublished Research: Draft catalogue entry for F1919.47; by Jenny F. So (2003)

Cong 琮 bracelet
Late Neolithic period, 3000--2500 BCE
Liangzhu 良渚 culture, Lake Tai 太湖 region
Nephrite, brown and honey-colored with white altered patches, greatly worn
Height 3.66 cm; dimensions at top 7.43 × 7.58 cm; at bottom 7.41 × 7.41 cm; diameter of opening 5.96--6.26 cm
Purchased from Seaouke Yue [You Xiaoxi] 游筱溪, Shanghai 上海, in New York, reportedly from Duan Fang [Duanfang] 端方
F1919.47

This cong 琮 bracelet displays a more compressed profile than most other examples in the Freer and Sackler collections. The cylinder stands as a rather low collar at the two ends, but the walls also taper gently from top to bottom. The image at the four corners is human-like, with incised double circular eyes, a scrolled nose in low relief, and two horizontal headbands above, filled with fine incised parallel lines. The corners also meet at obtuse angles to give the cross-section a gently swelling outline. The surface shows discoloration from prolonged handling.

A close match in proportions, design, and material is a single-tiered cong 琮 excavated from the Liangzhu 良渚 context at Funing 阜寧, Luzhuang 陸莊, Jiangsu 江蘇 province, kept in the Nanjing 南京 Museum. [1]

[1] Zhejiang sheng wenwu kaogu yanjiusuo 浙江省文物考古研究所, Shanghai shi wenwu guanli weiyuanhui 上海市文物管理委员会, and Nanjing bowuyuan 南京博物院, Liangzhu wenhua yuqi 良渚文化玉器 (Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe, and Hong Kong: Liangmu chubanshe, 1989), no. 38.

Published References

J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
You Xiaoxi. Description of antique Chinese paintings and brass wares as well as of porcelains of different ages, The Charles Lang Freer papers., 1919. No. 95, p. 66, 72.
Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Fang Gu. Yuqi shidai: Meiguo bowuguan cang Zhongguo zaoqi yuqi [The Jade Age: Early Chinese Jades in American Museums]. Beijing, 2009. p. 103.

CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0): This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

Save this image | Terms of use

One-tier tube (cong 琮) with masks

Related Objects

Related Media

Web Resources