A rare grey and green jade ritual vessel, cong

Neolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture

Footnotes

新石器時代 良渚文化 玉琮

Provenance:
The Sze Yuan Tang Collection

Published and Illustrated:
Art and Imitation in China, Hong Kong, 2006, no.11

Exhibited:
University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong (14 October - 17 December 2006)

來源：
思源堂收藏

出版及著錄：
《馳騁古今: 中國藝術的仿摹與創新》，香港，2006年，編號11

展覽：
香港大學美術博物館（2006年10月14日至12月17日）

The present cong displays the distinctive characteristic of Liangzhu Culture cong vessels, with a square outer section around a circular inner part and decorated with stylised masks neatly arranged on each of the four corners. Particularly notable in the present cong is the fine quality of the delicately incised lines.

One interpretation of the function of cong is that it symbolised the earth. Although the precise meaning and use of the cong is not entirely clear, it was found in extensive numbers in Liangzhu tombs and is believed to be of great significance.

Compare an example of a jade cong also carved with five registers of stylised masks (14.8cm high), Neolithic period, Liangzhu Culture, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 1 Neolithic Age, Beijing, 2011, p.76, pl.31. See also another slightly larger jade cong (14.6cm high), also with five registers, excavated in 1973 from Sidun in Wujin, Jiangsu Province, illustrated in Liangzhu wenhua yuqi, Hong Kong, 1989, p.39, pl.50.

玉琮褐綠色，有少許赭紅斑。長方柱形，外方內圓。外表分為五節，每節以四角為中線，刻簡化人面紋四組，共二十組。紋飾由兩條平行凸橫棱、雙重圓圈、凸橫檔構成，分別表示羽冠、眼睛和鼻子。整器製作規整，雕琢精緻，拋光細膩。

玉琮是良渚文化玉器中最典型器物之一。雖然學術界關於玉琮的起源及用途眾說紛紜，但從出土墓葬中所發現玉琮之數量足以顯示玉琮在良渚文化玉器中的特殊地位。目前大多數學者認同玉琮是和某種神袛崇拜有關的禮儀用玉。

北京故宮博物院藏一件良渚文化玉琮（高14.8厘米），墨綠玉質，外表亦分五節，見《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編1新石器時代》，北京，2011年，頁76，編號31；另見1973年江蘇省武進縣寺墩出土一件良渚玉琮，尺寸較此拍品稍大（高14.6厘米），著錄於《良渚文化玉器》，香港，1989年，頁39，編號50。