Jade. China, Eastern Zhou, 4th - 3rd century BC連雲紋玉璧 - 東周時代, 公元前4世紀-前3世紀

Diameter: 10.6 cm直徑 10.6 厘米

What is most striking about this partially calcified disc is the incredible polish that it retains. The surface is so shiny that it is almost glassy, which is amazing, considering the level of calcification of the jade.

The entire disc is decorated with a regular pattern of linked, squared scrolls organized in a grid-like fashion. A thin border runs along the inner hole and the perimeter of the disc, whose surface texture is rather irregular: some areas are smoother than others, notably in the unaltered parts. The thickness of the bi 璧is also quite irregular, especially on one side, where there is a markedly thinner area that slopes down toward the outer edge. This is also seen on the dragon-shaped pendant JAK917-034 in this auction, which is carved from a similar material and decorated with the same pattern.

The jade is of two tonalities of green, with little brownish mottled areas where the object is less altered. Despite the heavy alteration, there is still a small amount of translucency, which can be seen when the disc is held to the light. The disc has a slight nick on the area of the border where the jade is thinner, and a somewhat irregular edge.

Literature comparison/Archaeological sites: The pattern of linked scrolls is occasionally seen on late Eastern Zhou jades, particularly discs, though the curls are generally in low relief and not simply incised, as on the present example. A somewhat comparable disc in partly calcified jade was auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on 1 June 2017, sale HK0732, lot 333.

Expertise: Prof. Dr. Filippo Salviati

From an Austrian collection奧地利老佔有

All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and described by Prof. Fillipo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.