A CONG-FORM ALTERED JADE BEAD, LIANGZHU CULTURE China, circa 3300-2200 BC. The tubular bead is carved in the form of a two-tiered miniature cong. Both registers are carved and neatly incised with a stylized mask. The opaque stone is covered extensively with white alteration.

Provenance: From a private estate in New York City, USA.
Condition: Good condition with ancient wear, a small chip on the top and bottom edge possibly smoothened, small nicks here and there. The stone with calcifications, weathering, and natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Fine, naturally grown patina.

Weight: 38 g
Dimensions: Length 4.5 cm

Many beads of all sizes have been found in Liangzhu tombs, and a large number of them are decorated with faces, often arranged on two tiers.

Literature comparison: Compare a related cylindrical-form jade bead, also dated to 3300-2250 BC, of slightly smaller size (2.9 cm), at J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art exhibition, New York, in Ancient Chinese Jade: From the Neolithic to the Han from 10 March to 2 April 2016, No. 11.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related Liangzhu cong-form jade bead, of smaller size and near-identical design and with similar white alteration, at Christie’s Hong Kong in The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I – The Neolithic Period on 27 November 2019, lot 2723, sold for HKD 525,000.

良渚文化琮形玉珠
中國，公元前約3300-2200 年。琮的每兩個平面的夾角線作為一個軸心，分別對稱刻畫獸面的鼻、口，兩側的平面上分別雕出兩隻眼睛。不透明的石頭覆蓋著大面積的白色鈣化。

來源：美國紐約私人收藏。
品相：狀況良好，磨損，頂部和底部邊緣的小刻痕可能已磨平，到處都有小刻痕。具有鈣化、風化和天然裂縫的石料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成細小的細裂縫。自然細膩的包漿。

重量：38 克
尺寸：長4.5 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的良渚文化琮形玉珠，尺寸稍小，幾乎一模一樣的紋飾，相似的白色鈣化，見香港佳士得The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades, Part I – The Neolithic Period 2019年11月27日 lot 2723, 售價HKD 525,000。