Neolithic Hongshan Culture Calcified “Chicken-Bone White” Jade Double-Horned Crouching Sun Deity Figure (7500–2900 BCE)

拍品描述

Dimensions: Figure: H. 8 cm (approx. 3.15 in / 0.26 ft); W. 4 cm (approx. 1.57 in / 0.13 ft); Weight of figure: 140 g (approx. 4.94 oz); Overall height with fitted wooden display stand: 13 cm (approx. 5.12 in / 0.43 ft); Neolithic Period, Hongshan Culture, 7500–2900 BCE，Condition & Provenance: The figure is preserved in overall intact condition. The calcified “chicken-bone white” jade displays creamy-white to grayish-white tones with naturally varied ochre, brown, and dark gray surface deposits, together with age-related texturing, localized weathering, and surface wear. The prominent paired horns, lateral ears, crossed arms, crouching legs, and projecting feet remain clearly defined. Incised geometric decoration on both the front and reverse is visible, and the openwork and perforated areas remain intact. Presented on a fitted wooden display stand. Private Collection, New Jersey, USA.Description: This compact sculptural figure is carved from calcified “chicken-bone white” jade, with a creamy-white to grayish-white surface enriched by irregular ochre, brown, and dark gray deposits, natural texturing, and localized weathering that give the stone a distinctly archaic character. The figure is conceived in a tightly crouched posture, with both arms crossed firmly across the chest, the legs drawn together and bent beneath the body, and the feet projecting outward. Its compact proportions and substantial carving create an unusually strong sculptural presence. The head provides the dramatic focal point. Two tall, heavy horn-like projections rise prominently from the crown, accompanied by smaller lateral ear-like extensions. The forehead and facial area are articulated with crisply incised crosshatched and diamond-pattern decoration, while the projecting muzzle is reduced to a series of simple circular and linear details. The result is a highly abstracted, totemic image combining anthropomorphic and animal-like characteristics. The reverse is extensively worked rather than left undecorated. Geometric crosshatching, parallel lines, and segmented ornamental bands extend down the neck, back, and lower torso. Openwork spaces between the arms and body, as well as between the legs, give the figure additional depth and emphasize its fully three-dimensional conception. Measuring only 8 cm high yet weighing 140 grams, the figure feels notably substantial for its size. The combination of towering paired horns, compact crouching limbs, openwork construction, and extensive front-and-back geometric decoration gives the carving a bold and immediately recognizable prehistoric sculptural character. Mounted on its fitted wooden stand, the overall height reaches 13 cm, allowing the piece to be displayed as a freestanding work of early jade sculpture. Figures of this horned anthropomorphic type are commonly referred to in the collecting field as “Sun Deity” or spirit figures, and their striking combination of human, animal, and geometric imagery has made the type one of the more visually distinctive subjects associated with prehistoric Chinese jade.

图片