† A RARE CELADON AND BROWN JADE CONG, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD, LIANGZHU CULTURE

拍品描述

† A RARE CELADON AND BROWN JADE CONG, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD, LIANGZHU CULTURE Expert authentication: Dr. Gu Fang has examined the present lot and confirms its authenticity and suggests a dating to ca. 3200-2300 BC. He assessed it as a piece of notably good quality. A copy of Dr. Gu's expertise, dated 25 July 2006, accompanies this lot. Dr. Gu Fang (born 1962) is an internationally renowned scholar of Chinese art and a leading authority on jades. He graduated from the Department of Archaeology at the prestigious Beijing University in 1986 and later studied at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), where he now serves as a Senior Fellow specializing in archaeological excavations and Chinese jade research. A former visiting scholar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, he has authored several books on Chinese jades, including the 15-volume The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China (2007), one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, as well as Chinese Jade: The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Jade in China (2012). Expert’s note: Note the unusual three-tiered configuration. Among Liangzhu jade cong in public and private collections worldwide, fewer than ten examples with this specific arrangement have been recorded. The present cong is further distinguished by the exceptional refinement of its incised decoration, most notably the precisely rendered cloud-scroll motifs adorning the eyelids of the animal masks, a detail rarely executed with such finesse. China, 3200-2300 BC. The thick-walled cong is carved with squared, projecting corners divided into three registers, the top and bottom register carved with a rudimentary mask formed by two raised bands of parallel lines and centered by a band of spirals and lines, all above a pair of incised circular eyes and a simplified nose formed by a raised band with lines and scrolls. The central register with another mask engraved with large eyes framed by fine lines and spirals. The stone is mostly opaque and of mottled celadon and brown color with deep russet and dark brown alteration and gray veins. Dimensions: Width 13.5 cm, Height 9.7 cm The Liangzhu culture and its remarkable jade artifacts came to prominence in the late 1980s, when the discovery of several significant cemeteries brought international attention to the richness of their tomb contents. Since then, a wave of new archaeological findings has dramatically transformed our understanding of this late Neolithic civilization. At the Mojiaoshan site, Chinese archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a vast, walled settlement covering 750 acres. This site, the largest known walled settlement from late Neolithic China, includes palatial foundations, jade workshops, habitation zones, and a sophisticated network of internal waterways. Distinguished by their quantity, variety, and superb craftsmanship, Liangzhu jades are among the most iconic artifacts in the history of Chinese civilization. Among them, the jade cong stands out as the most emblematic. These objects feature a square exterior surrounding a circular inner hollow, with each corner serving as a vertical axis for the carving of symmetrical mask motifs. Early examples are typically squat and intricately decorated with deities or animal forms. In contrast, later versions are tall and slender, with stylized facial features dominated by prominent eyes and noses. The present cong is incised with three horizontal tiers featuring twelve ‘crowned divine figure’ motifs. Two parallel lines centered by band incised with geometric patterns above each figure signify the crown, the eyes are rendered in circles, while short horizontal ridges, engraved with swirling cloud patterns, depict the nose. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related mottled jade three-tiered cong, 10.4 cm high, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art in The National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1917.65a-d. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25 May 2022, lot 385 Price: HKD 327,600 or approx. EUR 39,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and motifs. Note the size (14.7 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 March 2023, lot 14 Price: USD 94,875 or approx. EUR 90,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and size (10.7 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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