Neolithic Hongshan Culture Chicken-Bone White Jade Three-Toothed Xuanji Disc, circa 4700–2900 BCE

拍品描述

Dimensions: Outer Diameter 6 cm (2.36 in / 0.20 ft); Late Neolithic Period, 5th–3rd Millennium BCE，Weight: 18.6 grams (0.66 oz)，Condition & Provenance: The jade xuanji is preserved intact overall, with no apparent major chips, fractures, losses, or restoration. The stone has undergone extensive calcification, producing a predominantly chicken-bone white surface with irregular gray-brown earthy coloration and scattered areas of weathering. The central aperture retains visible rotational and abrasive-working traces. Three evenly spaced tooth-like projections extend from the outer circumference, each articulated with groups of fine parallel incised lines. The interior and exterior edges, including the projecting teeth, have been extensively ground and polished to create softly rounded transitions without harsh edges. The surface displays a thick, mellow aged appearance with variations in texture and coloration throughout. Provenance: Private Collection, Switzerland. Acquired during the 1990s and retained overseas for more than thirty years.Description: This distinctive three-toothed xuanji is fashioned from a single piece of jade into a carefully balanced circular composition. Measuring 6 cm across and weighing 18.6 grams, the object combines the fundamental geometry of a perforated jade disc with three evenly spaced projecting teeth, creating a dynamic silhouette quite different from the restrained circular profile of a conventional bi disc. The surface is dominated by an extensive chicken-bone white appearance, interspersed with irregular gray, brown, and earthy-toned areas. Fine weathering textures and variations in the surface give the stone considerable visual depth, while the restrained ornament allows the material itself to remain an important part of the composition. At the center is a circular aperture, carefully worked and smoothed along its interior wall. Subtle rotational and abrasive traces remain visible within the opening, reflecting the labor-intensive drilling and grinding required to work hard jade using early lapidary techniques. The outer circumference is divided into three principal sections by projecting tooth-like flanges. These projections are arranged at broadly regular intervals, creating a strong sense of rotational symmetry. Each tooth is further articulated with fine parallel incised lines, providing a restrained decorative rhythm against the otherwise smooth body of the disc. The contrast between the circular center and the projecting outer elements gives the object an unusually energetic visual character. As the piece is rotated, the three teeth create a sense of movement around the central aperture—an effect that likely contributed to the later traditional association of this type of object with the term xuanji. The entire object has been extensively shaped through cutting, abrasion, drilling, and polishing. Rather than leaving the projecting teeth sharp, the maker softened their edges and transitions, integrating them visually with the circular body. This careful treatment produces the rounded, tactile quality that is one of the most compelling characteristics of prehistoricChinese jade working. Objects conventionally described as three-toothed xuanji or toothed jade discs occupy a distinctive place within the broader history of early Chinese ritual jade. Their precise original function remains a subject of scholarly discussion. Earlier interpretations have sometimes connected their rotational geometry with celestial observation or astronomical symbolism, while archaeological scholarship more cautiously places such forms within the wider ceremonial, ornamental, and symbolic traditions of prehistoric jade culture. The combination of a central perforation, carefully balanced projections, and highly controlled geometry nevertheless suggests that the form carried meaning beyond simple decoration. Particularly successful in this example is the relationship between symmetry and movement. The circular body establishes stability, while the three projecting teeth disrupt that stillness and create a rotating visual rhythm. The parallel incised lines further reinforce the directional quality of the projections. With its compact dimensions, balanced three-part geometry, chicken-bone white surface, carefully worked central aperture, restrained linear decoration, and smoothly polished contours, this xuanji presents a visually compelling expression of prehistoric Chinese jade design and would make a distinctive study piece within a collection devoted to Hongshan material culture, early ritual jade, and the development of abstract geometric forms in ancient Chinese art.

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