bi
- Museum number
- 2022,3034.42
- Description
-
Oval disc-bi of opaque creamy white jade with beige-coloured mottling completely calcified polished to a good gloss.
- Production date
- 3300BC-2200BC
- Dimensions
-
Width: 11.70 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
This flat oval bi of irregular thickness has straight sides with a slanting conical aperture bearing the grooves of a drilling process. Neolithic.
-
The completely altered stone of this piece is characteristic of Liangzhu jades. The slightly flattened edges at the top and bottom give the disc an oval form, which is unusual, although some excavated examples are known. At this stage in the Neolithic period central holes were generally drilled by a tubular drill and an abrasive, and the holes were usual circular. Because a tubular drill was not available, at this date, to make the outer circumference of the discs, these were cut vertically which often resulted in a slightly irregular form, as here. On the most elaborate pieces, such as no.468 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.68], both outer and inner edges were carefully ground smooth to remove traces of the cutting process. On other pieces, such as no.315 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.100], the drilling marks remain, where both the cutting action of the tubular drill entering the jade from the two sides is evident from the central ridge and the grinding of the abrasive sand has left many other concentric grooves. See Rawson 1995, p.132, cat.no.4:2.
- Location
- On display (G33b/dc3)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2002, BM, 'Chinese Jade'
Previous Loan Number: 2014,AsiaLoan.63
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 2022,3034.42
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 391 (Hotung database number)
