Neolithic Hongshan Culture Chicken-Bone White Jade Horseshoe-Shaped Ritual Object, circa 4700–2900 BCE

拍品描述

Dimensions: Height 17.3 cm (6.81 in / 0.57 ft); Top Width 12.5 cm (4.92 in / 0.41 ft); Neolithic Period, Hongshan Culture，Weight: 675 g (approx. 23.81 oz)，Condition & Provenance: The artifact is preserved intact overall, with no apparent major breakage, losses, or restoration. The jade presents extensive calcification characterized by a predominantly chicken-bone-white surface, with a dense network of fine weathering fissures and irregular ochre, tan, and gray-brown deposits extending across both the exterior and interior. The object is formed as a tall, tapering hollow tube, broader at the upper opening and narrowing toward the base. The upper rim follows a distinctive oblique, gently curved profile, while the lower section terminates in a comparatively compact base. A small lateral perforation near the lower edge preserves visible drilling and abrasive working traces. Both interior and exterior surfaces are broadly smoothed, with softly rounded transitions and extensive age-related surface alteration. Provenance: Longstanding Private Collection, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Acquired from an Asian art gallery in Montreal, Canada, in 1989 and subsequently retained within the same family collection for more than thirty years; accompanied by collection documentation.Description: Monumental in scale and remarkably sculptural in conception, this hollow jade object belongs to the distinctive horseshoe-shaped or hoop-form tradition associated with Hongshan jade culture. Carved from a substantial single block of jade, the piece rises to an impressive 17.3 cm and weighs 675 grams, giving it an unusually commanding physical presence among portable prehistoric-style jade objects. The form is defined by its elegant taper. A broad upper section surrounds a large hollow opening and gradually contracts toward the narrower base, producing a powerful vertical silhouette. The upper rim is cut on a pronounced oblique curve rather than horizontally, creating the characteristic horseshoe-like profile from which this class of object takes its modern descriptive name. The interior has been extensively hollowed, requiring considerable removal of material while maintaining substantial and relatively consistent walls. This contrast between the massive exterior and deep interior cavity gives the piece both visual weight and architectural character. A small perforation near the lower portion provides an additional functional element and preserves visible evidence of drilling and abrasive finishing. Particularly compelling is the relationship between the object's highly restrained geometry and its richly varied surface. The body is dominated by creamy ivory and chicken-bone-white tones, interrupted by ochre, tan, gray, and darker mineral-colored passages. Fine interconnected fissures extend over both the interior and exterior surfaces, while darker deposits concentrate within recessed areas and along the network of surface lines, creating considerable visual depth. Unlike figural Hongshan-style jades such as pig-dragons and animal pendants, the horseshoe-shaped form derives its aesthetic power almost entirely from proportion, curvature, volume, and negative space. The expansive opening, sloping rim, thick walls, and tapering profile give the object an abstract monumentality that anticipates the sophisticated geometric vocabulary found throughout the history of Chinese ritual jade. Horseshoe-shaped jade objects occupy a distinctive place in the study of Hongshan material culture. Archaeological examples have generated considerable scholarly discussion concerning their precise function, including interpretations relating to personal ornament, headdress components, ceremonial display, and ritual practice. Their carefully hollowed construction and distinctive form indicate that they represented a technically demanding category of jade manufacture. At 17.3 cm high and 675 grams, the present piece is particularly substantial. Its combination of imposing scale, deep hollow construction, obliquely cut upper opening, lateral perforation, softly worked contours, and extensively altered surface gives it exceptional visual presence. It stands as a compelling object for the study and collection of prehistoric Chinese jade forms and the sophisticated abrasive-working traditions associated with Hongshan material culture.

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