This is an authentic one-of-a-kind Chinese ancient heavenly jade tube or Cong from the Qi Jia culture, Northwestern China, 3,000-2,000 BCE. This comes from a private collection, #14173.

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 jade Cong is 2.1 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide

Notice the polished surfaces which are not uncommon on these ceremonial objects.

Neolithic jades from this period are handmade and hand abraded and hand polished using primitive tools of the time: bamboo, stone, water and stone dust

This example is rare because of the deep caramel colors and veined patterns caused from calcification which took thousands of years to form. Natural organic string made from vegetation combined with sand paste and water were the tools used to abraid and cut hard jade stone. In addition this displays traces of surface mineralization from being buried underground for thousands of years.

Provenance:
Our private collection and accompanied by our Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.

In addition, our jade has been authenticated by Mr. Gu Fang, Senior Fellow at the Center of Jadeology and jade culture in Beijing.

This is a genuine ancient artifact and not a reproduction.

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 jade 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.

We have been dealing in authentic Japanese, Chinese, European, and Asian Fine art, antiquities, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. Our president personally travels to Japan, Europe and China each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique work of art to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition. After accumulating a group, they are imported to Vermont in large containers. This method keeps shipping costs low and enables us to offer them to you at reasonable prices. We ship internationally.