Chinese Heavenly Blue Tube Cong
$2,850.00
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This is an authentic one-of-a-kind Chinese heavenly blue stone tube or Cong from the Qing dynasty , early 20th century. This comes from a private collection.
Cong, symbolizing earth, were ritual jade objects having a square outer section around a circular inner part, and a circular hole, though jades of a bracelet shape also display some of the characteristics of cong. They clearly had great significance, but despite the many theories their meaning and purpose remain a mystery.
Dimensions: The Cong is 4.62 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide and is crafted from a scarcer blue calcite stone.
This kind of stone while known, is quite rare to find now in this form.
Notice the patinated surfaces which are not uncommon on these older objects.
Provenance:
Private collection
This is a genuine older artifact
History:
Square forms with round holes “cong” or tubes are among the earliest surviving artifacts of China and must be considered among great ancient art forms- masterpieces of the Neolithic period. Nephrite jade from which congs were fashioned is a prime hard and strong stone, arduous to work by hand using Primitive stone tools and abrasives. It’s no wonder then that jades like this handsome example represent remarkable craftsmanship.
While all theories presented to date are speculative, we can forward one Based Upon the warring states text Zhou Li that jade bi are thought to represent symbols of heaven and were used in ancient rituals together with jade square tubes -cong- symbolizing earth. To worship heaven and earth with these special jades explain their importance and use. They also symbolize status of high social rank and shed light on why many carved jades have been found in Zhou royal tombs. They are prominently found in varied qualities, quantities and sizes. Their ritual prominence stretches from the most ancient of Chinese history- Hongshan/Liangzhou/Longshan/ QiJia cultures (4700-2190 BCE) and later to the Zhou dynasty (3000-250 BCE) onwards.
Today cong are thought of as emblematic of power, status and privileged classes and offer more complex, varied meaning. Please refer to these excellent publications: Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, exhibition catalogue The British Museum, London, 1995, pp 13f, and Section 4. And also Radiant Stones Archaic Chinese Jades, the Myrna and Samurai Myers collection, 2000 curated by Filippo Salviati, PhD, entry 14, Bi Disc.
Item Details
- Dimensions: N/A
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