新石器時代 公元前三 / 二千紀 玉璧

the circular disc with flat sides, pierced with a central aperture, of a softly polished stone slightly irregular in thickness and mottled with olive-green, ochre, yellow, and russet tones with feathery veining, with a patch of opaque dark brown to the edge

Roman Vishniac (1897-1990) 收藏

The disc is in good overall condition. There is a minute chip to the rim on one side and wear overall with minor nicks and scratches consistent with age and use. The surface is smooth and nicely polished.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Bi make up one of the major forms of archaic jades and were made in a range of sizes. They appear to have originated in China during the Neolithic period among the peoples of eastern China for whom beautifully finished discs were a major component of the jade repertoire. Various neolithic cultures produced bi, in particular the Liangzhu culture, which flourished in southeastern China in the 3rd millennium B.C. Jade discs similar to the present example were recovered from sites of the Liangzhu culture in present-day southeastern China. See Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade. From the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pp. 130-136 and pp. 156-157.

The present disc is made of a dark, translucent jade, and appears similar in stone quality, size, and thickness to a bi illustrated in Shu-P'ing Teng, Neolithic Jades in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, pl. 47. Consider as well another disc of similar size, slightly thicker, and of a similar stone in the National Museum of History, Taiwan, attributed to the Late Neolithic period, c. 2000, illustrated in John Johnston and Chan Lai Pik, 5000 Years of Chinese Jade : Featuring Selections from the National Museum of History, Taiwan and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Exhibition, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, 2011; and a larger disc of similar stone quality sold in these rooms 17 September, 2003, lot 24, attributed to the Neolithic period, 3rd/2nd millennium B.C.