Neolithic Hongshan Culture Fully Calcified Chicken-Bone White Jade Cong with Paired Pig-Dragon Motifs, c. 6500–5000 BCE

拍品描述

Dimensions: Height 4.1 cm (1.61 in / 0.13 ft); width 7.6 cm (2.99 in / 0.25 ft); Neolithic Period Weight: 343 g (approx. 12.10 oz)Condition & Provenance: The jade is preserved intact overall, with no apparent major breakage, losses, or restoration. The material presents a strongly calcified chicken-bone-white appearance, extensively mottled with tawny, brown, and gray surface accretions and a dense network of fine weathering fissures. The central aperture and surrounding sculptural elements remain well defined, while the deeply recessed areas retain darker deposits that emphasize the age-softened surface. The broad central bore is worked from opposing sides and shows visible rotational and abrasive working traces along its interior. The paired zoomorphic elements retain their rounded modeling and shallow incised details, while the entire object displays a subdued, softly polished surface with naturally varied coloration. Provenance: Private Collection, New York, USA. Acquired from a Paris antiques dealer in 1992 and subsequently retained within the same family collection for more than 30 years; accompanied by collection documentation.Description: Monumental in conception despite its compact dimensions, this unusual ritual jade combines the architectural geometry of a cong-form object with boldly modeled pig-dragon imagery. Carved from a substantial single block of jade, the piece centers on a broad circular aperture surrounded by a thick, sculptural outer wall. Around this central opening, paired zoomorphic forms emerge in pronounced relief, giving the object an unusually powerful three-dimensional presence when viewed from either the face or profile. The pig-dragon elements are conceived through broad, rounded volumes rather than minute naturalistic detail. Their swollen foreheads, projecting snouts, compact bodies, and strongly curved contours create an archaic visual language closely associated with prehistoric Chinese jade carving. Shallow incised lines articulate selected facial and bodily details, while the larger forms depend primarily on silhouette, mass, and carefully controlled curvature. Particularly striking is the contrast between the deeply recessed central opening and the projecting animal forms surrounding it. The aperture creates a strong visual axis through the object, while the surrounding relief transforms the otherwise geometric body into a complex sculptural composition. The interior wall of the opening preserves visible working traces, offering an important visual record of the labor-intensive drilling and abrasive techniques associated with early jade manufacture. The surface itself contributes substantially to the object’s character. Its dominant pale ivory and chicken-bone-white tones are interrupted by irregular passages of ochre, tawny brown, charcoal gray, and darker mineral accretions. Fine interconnected fissures extend across the surface and into recessed areas, creating a richly layered appearance. Darker deposits concentrated within carved grooves and depressions heighten the relief and make the zoomorphic forms particularly legible. Pig-dragon imagery occupies a celebrated position within the visual vocabulary associated with Hongshan jade traditions. Characterized by compact circular bodies, prominent heads, and simplified animal features, such imagery has long been discussed in relation to ritual practice, status, ancestry, and the development of dragon symbolism in early China. The present composition is especially noteworthy for integrating this zoomorphic vocabulary with a centrally perforated, architectonic form. Weighing 343 grams while measuring only 7.6 cm across, the carving has an exceptional sense of density and physical presence. Its combination of massive proportions, paired animal imagery, extensive surface alteration, bold relief carving, and a large central aperture makes it a visually commanding example of prehistoric-inspired ritual jade design and a compelling object for the study and collection of early Chinese jade traditions.

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