Red Jade Bi Disc Pendant

This red jade bi disc pendant is decorated with incised lines and scrolls, it is flat with a hole in the center. This very small and pure shaped jade ring appears to be a Neolithic piece or a careful copy in the well-fashioned traditional form of Neolithic pieces. It may have been found as a grave jade from the north-western Neolithic cultures of the Eastern Zhou to the Han period. Considering its relatively small size, this jade may have been intended to be worn as an ornament.* This ring seems to have belonged to an earlier stage in the development of jade pendants with the earliest motifs originating from the Neolithic period. It is crudely carved with irregular circular outer and inner diameters, and it contains some stray scratches that indicate its originality and archaistic rendering style. Its uneven surface is gauchely incised in a cloud pattern with a half-way plain border on one side. A full plain border encircles a curious relief composite of a small notch, an obscure creature, and small raised, rounded scrolls on the other side. A cord would have been placed in the inner hole through which the pendant was hung. The uncharacteristic design, inept workmanship, and the distinct texture and quality of the jade stone signify the peculiarities of its provenance and reflect the aesthetic thinking of the period in which it was carved. The bi discs are thought to be symbols of Heaven, their shape representing the endless circle of life, longevity, ever-lasting life. The bi originated in the Neolithic period (3400-2250 BC) and were carried forward into the Shang, Zhou and Han dynasties. Most early bi discs are undecorated while disks from later periods have ornate surface carvings. In the early days, discs were placed on the dead, usually on the chest. During the Han Dynasty, they were worn by the living, hung on cords with other pendants or plaques, strung like charms. They became a sign of rank. * Jessica Rawson classifies jade use of the Neolithic period (c. 5000-1000 B.C.) in three principal categories: ceremonial blades, objects of ritual use, and personal ornaments (Chinese Jade: from the Neolithic to the Qing, p 28)