Collection Highlights

One of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of ancient Chinese jades—from jewelry to ceremonial objects based on functional tools and weapons—is found at the National Museum of Asian Art. Browse featured objects in our collections, or scroll through all of the works to find your personal favorites.

Straight chisel (<em>gui</em>圭) with face and bird
F1915.87
Straight chisel (gui圭) with face and bird
One-tier tube (<em>cong</em> 琮) with masks
F1916.118
One-tier tube (cong 琮) with masks
Disk (<em>bi</em>) with raised hexagons arranged in a grid, dragon, and feline
F1916.155
Disk (bi) with raised hexagons arranged in a grid, dragon, and feline
Head ornament with mask
F1916.511
Head ornament with mask
Disk (<em>bi</em>) with raised pyramids arranged in a grid, redecorated
F1917.85
Disk (bi) with raised pyramids arranged in a grid, redecorated
Disk (<em>bi</em> 璧) with incised glyph and decorated edge
F1917.348
Disk (bi 璧) with incised glyph and decorated edge
Dagger-axe (<em>ge</em> 戈)
F1917.396.1
Dagger-axe (ge 戈)
Harvesting knife (<em>hu</em> 笏) with mask and felines, fragment
F1918.1.1
Harvesting knife (hu 笏) with mask and felines, fragment
Dagger-axe (<em>ge</em> 戈)
F1919.13a-c
Dagger-axe (ge 戈)
Bracelet with geometric decoration
F1919.46
Bracelet with geometric decoration
Pendants, beads, and gold chain
F1930.27a-k
Pendants, beads, and gold chain
Head ornament with geometric decoration
F1930.28
Head ornament with geometric decoration
Tubular handle with feline and raised linked curls
F1930.30
Tubular handle with feline and raised linked curls
Spouted cup with mask and incised linked curls
F1930.31
Spouted cup with mask and incised linked curls
Pendant in the form of a female dancer, fragment
F1930.43
Pendant in the form of a female dancer, fragment
Cup with handles, raised linked curls, and birds
F1931.19
Cup with handles, raised linked curls, and birds
Pendant in the form of a dragon
F1932.40
Pendant in the form of a dragon
Disk (<em>bi</em>) with raised linked curls
F1932.41
Disk (bi) with raised linked curls
Pendant in the form of a dragon with dragon elements and raised uniform curls arranged in a grid, one of a pair
F1932.43
Pendant in the form of a dragon with dragon elements and raised uniform curls arranged in a grid, one of a pair
Pendant in the form of a fluted ring
F1939.9
Pendant in the form of a fluted ring
Sword scabbard chape with mask
F1939.16
Sword scabbard chape with mask
Pendant in the form of an archer’s thumbring with raised linked curls
F1939.23
Pendant in the form of an archer’s thumbring with raised linked curls
Pendant with dragon heads, spirals, and raised uniform curls arranged in a grid
F1939.29a-b
Pendant with dragon heads, spirals, and raised uniform curls arranged in a grid
Ornament (<em>shi</em> 飾) with face and masks
F1939.54
Ornament (shi 飾) with face and masks
Dagger-axe (<em>ge</em> 戈) with masks (<em>taotie</em>) and dragons
F1940.10a-e
Dagger-axe (ge 戈) with masks (taotie) and dragons
Axe (<em>yue</em> 鉞) Axe (yue 鉞) with handle, masks (<em>taotie</em>), and cicadas
F1941.4
Axe (yue 鉞) Axe (yue 鉞) with handle, masks (taotie), and cicadas
Knife pendant in the form of a supernatural human
F1942.6
Knife pendant in the form of a supernatural human
Garment hook with incised dragon elements and irregular curls
F1954.120
Garment hook with incised dragon elements and irregular curls
Disk (<em>bi</em> 璧)
F1956.16
Disk (bi 璧)
Axe (<em>yue</em> 鉞), made from a collared disk
F1968.48
Axe (yue 鉞), made from a collared disk
Round axe, made from a collared disk
F1970.39
Round axe, made from a collared disk
Pendant in form of a mask
F1991.52
Pendant in form of a mask
Axe (<em>fu</em> 斧)
F1998.4
Axe (fu 斧)
Thirteen-tier tube (<em>cong</em> 琮) with masks
F2016.2a-d
Thirteen-tier tube (cong 琮) with masks
Notched disk
F2017.5a-c
Notched disk
Ornament (<em>shi</em> 飾) with mask and headdress
LTS1985.1.276.1
Ornament (shi 飾) with mask and headdress
Pendant with pairs of birds; reverse with a single bird
LTS1985.1.285.1
Pendant with pairs of birds; reverse with a single bird
Pendant in the form of a dragon
S1987.30
Pendant in the form of a dragon
Tube (<em>cong</em>) with interlaced dragons
S1987.469
Tube (cong) with interlaced dragons
Finial in the form of a human hybrid with dragon
S1987.481
Finial in the form of a human hybrid with dragon
Pendant in the form of a standing figure
S1987.482
Pendant in the form of a standing figure
Earring with incised dragon elements
S1987.502
Earring with incised dragon elements
Ancestor tablet with bird and dragon
S1987.521
Ancestor tablet with bird and dragon
Pendant with dragon heads and interlaced dragons, unfinished
S1987.522
Pendant with dragon heads and interlaced dragons, unfinished
Pendant with dragon head and interlaced dragons, from a set of four, reworked
S1987.526
Pendant with dragon head and interlaced dragons, from a set of four, reworked
Finial in the form of a bird
S1987.535
Finial in the form of a bird
Ancestor tablet with dragon
S1987.565
Ancestor tablet with dragon
Pendant in the form of a fish, reworked from a collared disk
S1987.573
Pendant in the form of a fish, reworked from a collared disk
Pendant in the form of a bird
S1987.590
Pendant in the form of a bird
Garment hook with raised linked curls
S1987.603
Garment hook with raised linked curls
Pendant with dragon head and interlaced dragons, one of a pair
S1987.612
Pendant with dragon head and interlaced dragons, one of a pair
Finial in the form of a bird
S1987.637
Finial in the form of a bird
Collared disk
S1987.647
Collared disk
Knife (<em>dao</em> 刀)
S1987.706
Knife (dao 刀)
Hand grip in the form of a pig
S1987.741
Hand grip in the form of a pig
Pendant in the form of a stag
S1987.869
Pendant in the form of a stag
Pendant in the form of a stag
S1987.873
Pendant in the form of a stag
Disk (<em>bi</em>) with dragons
S1987.933
Disk (bi) with dragons
Disk (<em>bi</em> 璧)
S1999.120.2
Disk (bi 璧)
Bear
S1999.120.3
Bear
Jarlet (<em>lei</em>罍)
S2010.40
Jarlet (lei罍)
Ornament in the form of an animal head and crest, reworked from a tube (<em>cong</em> 琮)
S2012.9.165
Ornament in the form of an animal head and crest, reworked from a tube (cong 琮)
Pendant in the form of a coiled dragon
S2012.9.232
Pendant in the form of a coiled dragon
Pestle with handle in form of a monkey
S2012.9.241
Pestle with handle in form of a monkey
Miniature hafted dagger-axe (<em>ge</em> 戈)
S2012.9.279
Miniature hafted dagger-axe (ge 戈)
Disk (<em>bi</em>) with raised hexagons arranged in a grid and dragons
S2012.9.1038
Disk (bi) with raised hexagons arranged in a grid and dragons
Pendant in the form of a dragon
S2012.9.1044
Pendant in the form of a dragon
Pendant in the form of an oval disk with human hybrids
S2012.9.1050
Pendant in the form of an oval disk with human hybrids
Sword scabbard slide with dragon
S2012.9.1125
Sword scabbard slide with dragon
Ornament in the form of a dragon with raised irregular curls, one of a pair
S2012.9.1255.1
Ornament in the form of a dragon with raised irregular curls, one of a pair
Pendant in the form of a mantis
S2012.9.1545
Pendant in the form of a mantis
Garment hook with geometric decoration
S2012.9.2702
Garment hook with geometric decoration
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