Disk (bi 璧)

Mottled jade bi 璧, greenish jade with rust mottling throughout the plain circular disk.

Maker(s)
Artist: Liangzhu culture 良渚 (ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE)
Historical period(s)
Late Neolithic period, ca. 3300-2250 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
Diam x D: 18.1 x 1.5 cm (7 1/8 x 9/16 in)
Geography
China, Lake Tai region
Credit Line
Gift of Elizabeth Meyer Lorentz
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F2000.10.1a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceremonial Object, Jade
Type

Ceremonial object: disk (bi)

Keywords
China, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE)
Provenance

To 2000
Elizabeth Meyer Lorentz (1913-2001). [1]

From 2000
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Elizabeth Meyer Lorentz. [2]

Notes:

[1] According to Collections Management Notes #2, “Gift accepted 12/21/00 before Mrs. Lorentz' death on 1/27/01, however this item was included as a bequest to the Freer in her will as number #(xxi) and noted as: "mottled jade Bi, greenish jade with rust mottling throughout the plain circular disc, diameter 7 inches."

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Elizabeth Meyer Lorentz 1913-2001

Description

Mottled jade bi 璧, greenish jade with rust mottling throughout the plain circular disk.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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