Jades for Life and Death

Classification: Ceremonial Object

Maker(s): Artist: Sanxingdui culture 三星堆 (ca. 2000-ca. 1000 BCE)

Historical period(s): Late Neolithic period, ca. 2000-1000 BCE

Object Date: ca. 2000-1000 BCE

Medium: Jade (serpentine)

Dimension(s): Diam x D: 25.5 x 1.2 cm (10 1/16 x 7/16 in) Diam (hole): 6.3 cm (2 1/2 in)

Origin: China, Sichuan Province, but purportedly found at Luoyang, Henan province

Notes: but purportedly found at Luoyang, Henan province

Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1919.59

: 璧
新石器時代晚期三星堆文化（公元前2000--1000年）
中國四川，原傳河南洛陽出土
蛇紋石質玉
直徑25.5、厚1.2釐米；孔徑6.3釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾贈送
器物編號：F1919.59

Provenance: Possibly excavated in Lo-yang, Honan [1]

Duanfang (1861-1911), Peking [2]

To 1919
You Xiaoxi, Shanghai to 1919 [3]

1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi in New York in 1919 [4]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [5]

Notes:

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

[2] See note 1.

[3] See Original Miscellaneous List, pg. 346, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[4] See note 3.

[5] 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): Duanfang 端方 (1861-1911)
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; of slate-colored material completely covered with a chalky coating stained in shades from cream to a dark reddish-tan on the obverse, lighter shades on reverse. (One chipped area on rim.)

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Past label text: Liangzhu 良渚 and its Legacy, November 4, 2010–January 3, 2016; by Keith Wilson (shown with F1919.31, F1956.16, F1917.136)
Bi 璧 disk
Neolithic period, Sanxingdui 三星堆 culture, ca. 2000–1000 BCE
Serpentine

Ancient burial sites dateable to the later Neolithic period and early Bronze Age contain far fewer bi 璧 than did Liangzhu 良渚 tombs, but centers such as Qijia 齊家 in northwest China, Sanxingdui 三星堆 in Sichuan 四川 province, and Anyang 安陽 in the central plain show the continued practice of making and burying jade disks with the deceased. Signs of the disk’s adoption by diverse peoples are the variations in scale of bi 璧; the way the central holes were drilled from one side only (rather than from both sides, as was done by the Liangzhu 良渚); and the use of locally available stone.

Here, the outer “skin” of the original nephrite boulder can still be seen around the largest bi 璧 from the Neolithic Qijia 齊家 culture (F1956.16). The two whitish disks (F1919.59, F1919.31) are of serpentine, a much softer stone used in Sichuan 四川 province to the far southwest. The diminutive size of the smallest bi 璧 (F1917.136) may suggest the original purpose of these disks had been forgotten by the early Bronze Age.

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

Sanxingdui culture bi
Southwest China, Sichuan province, ca. 2000–1000 BCE
Serpentine
Gift of Charles Lang Freer F1919.59

Reflecting the Past
Liangzhu tombs contain more bi than do burial sites of the later Neolithic period and the early Bronze Age. Compared with Liangzhu models, other variations occurred in scale, how central holes were drilled from one side only, and the use of local stone.

Here, the outer “skin” of the nephrite boulder still encircles the largest bi. The two whitish disks are of serpentine, a softer stone used in Sichuan province to the far southwest. The small size of the bi suggests the original ritual purpose of these disks in Liangzhu burials was forgotten by the early Bronze Age.

Curatorial Remarks

1. Bought from Seaouke Yue [You Xiaoxi] 游筱溪, of Shanghai 上海, in New York. Formerly in the collection of the Viceroy Tuan Fang [Duanfang] 端方, and said to have been excavated in Lo yang [Luoyang] 洛陽, Honan [Henan] 河南. For price, see Original Miscellaneous List, p. 346. $125.

2. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Original attribution: Chinese. Han 漢. See further, S.I. 1439, Appendix IX.

3. (John Ellerton Lodge, 1927) Han 漢 or earlier.

4. (Isabel Ingram Mayer, 1945) Ch'ing [Qing] 清 dynasty reproduction of Chou [Zhou] 周 type. The material is soft and the surface coating and stain seem unconvincing. Cf. F1919.31, these two pieces seem to have come from the same workshop.

5. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Attribution changed from "Ch'ing [Qing] 清 or later" to "Shang 商 dynasty."

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

7. (Stephen Allee, as per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, July 25, 2008) Period One changed from "Shang 商dynasty" to "Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age"; Date changed from "1600--1050 BCE" to "ca. 2000 BCE"; added Previous owner: "Ex collection Duanfang 端方." Also changed Title from "Ritual disk, Bi 璧" to "Disk (bi 璧)," and Object Name from "Disk (bi 璧)" to "Ceremonial Objects." Added Description as per Jenny F. So and Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.

8. (Stephen Allee as per Keith Wilson, March 24, 2009) Period One changed from "Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age" to "Early Bronze Age Shang 商 dynasty"; Date changed from "ca. 2000 BCE" to "1500--1200 BCE"; added "Sanxingdui 三星堆 culture" to Artist; added "Sanxingdui 三星堆, Sichuan 四川 province" to Geographical Origin.

9. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 11, 2010) Deleted "Early Bronze Age Shang 商 dynasty" from period; changed date from "1500--1200 BCE" to "ca. 1500--1100 BCE"; deleted "Sanxingdui 三星堆" from geographical location.

10. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, December 2, 2010) Date changed from "ca. 1500--1000 BCE" to "ca. 2000--1000 BCE."

11. (Jeffrey Smith, April 14, 2016) Transferred from Description: (Jenny F. So, from Jade Project Database) Gray, slate colored, completely covered with chalky white layer with patches of tan and cream; cf. F1919.31; serpentine (Sp. G. 2.578). Unevenly round, quite evenly thick. Hole slightly off-center, but round, with turn marks on inside walls.

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. p. 73, 77, No. 109.

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