Who created Jade Cong?
Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.
When was the Jade Cong made?
2400 B.C. Among Neolithic jades, the cong displays the most complex form: a cylindrical tube encased in a square prism that gently tapers from top to bottom.
What type of art is the Jade Cong?
Neolithic art in China 1600-1050 B.C.E.)
Who made cong?
History. The earliest cong were produced by the Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC); later examples date mainly from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Interest in the jade shape developed during the 12th-13th century Song dynasty. The shape continued to be used in ceramic and metalwork for centuries.
Where is the Jade Cong located?
province of JiangsuCong (pronounced tsong) are unusual jade objects found among the graves of the Liangzhu culture in the eastern province of Jiangsu, around Lake Tai, near present-day Shanghai. Cong are tubeshaped objects consisting of a circular tube shape with protruding square corners.
In what historical period was the Jade Cong?
The cong is one of the principal types of jade artefact of the Liangzhu culture (about 3000–2000 BC) around Lake Tai in Jiangsu province.
Why was the Jade Cong important?
The outer flat surfaces of the form are usually embellished with horizontal segments at the corners, while the planar surfaces are decorated with lines and other abstract designs. The cong was used as a ritual utensil during sacrificial and burial ceremonies. It was also sometimes made of stone.
What symbolic associations did jade have to the Chinese?
Jade was prized for its hardness, durability, magical qualities, and beauty. In particular, its subtle, translucent colors and protective qualities caused it to become associated with Chinese conceptions of the soul and immortality. With gold, it was considered to be a symbol of heaven.
What is the rounded inside of the Jade Cong thought to represent?
Jade Cong: a connection between heaven and earth It is square outside and round inside, with a middle hole. Experts have speculated that it may represent our ancestors' “hemispherical dome” belief. The square means earth, the round circle means heaven.
When did jade carvings become an important type of Chinese art form?
For a long time thereafter, jade remained the exclusive preserve of the royal imperial families, and since the time of Song Dynasty art (960-1279), jade carving has been seen as a major art form, reaching its peak during the era of Ming Dynasty art (1368-1644), when another world renowned artform - blue and white ...
What does a Taotie look like?
The design typically consists of a zoomorphic mask, described as being frontal, bilaterally symmetrical, with a pair of raised eyes and typically no lower jaw area. Some argue that the design can be traced back to jade pieces found at Neolithic sites belonging to the Liangzhu culture (3310–2250 BCE).
In what time period does the earliest Chinese writing first emerge?
three-stroke marks found on pottery pieces from the late neolithic period, as early as 4800 B.C., are the earliest traces of Chinese writing and prove that writing was invented in China earlier than anywhere else in the world by a margin of more than a thousand years.
What is jade used for?
Stone workers employed jade to make prestigious, beautifully polished versions of utilitarian stone tools, such as axes, and also to make implements with possible ceremonial or protective functions. The status of jade continues throughout Chinese history.
What are the two types of jade?
They used two distinct types of ritual jade objects: a disc, later known as a bi, and a tube, later known as a cong. The main types of cong have 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 the meaning and purpose of bi and cong remain a mystery. They were buried in large numbers: one tomb alone had 25 bi and 33 cong. Spectacular examples have been found at all the major archaeological sites.
How many bi and cong were buried?
They were buried in large numbers: one tomb alone had 25 bi and 33 cong. Spectacular examples have been found at all the major archaeological sites.
What is the meaning of the cong?
Cong are among the most impressive yet most enigmatic of all ancient Chinese jade artifacts. Their function and meaning are completely unknown.
Where did the Liangzhu people live?
A group of Neolithic peoples grouped today as the Liangzhu culture lived in the Jiangsu province of China during the third millennium B.C.E. Their jades, ceramics and stone tools were highly sophisticated.
When were stone rings made?
Stone rings were being made by the peoples of eastern China as early as the fifth millennium B.C.E. Jade discs have been found carefully laid on the bodies of the dead in tombs of the Hongshan culture (about 3800-2700 B.C.E.), a practice which was continued by later Neolithic cultures.
Can jade be split?
As jade cannot be split like other stones, it must be worked with a hard abrasive sand. This one is exceptionally long and may have been particularly important in its time. Jade disc, or bi, Liangzhu culture, c. 2500 B.C.E., 18 cm in diameter © Private Collection, © Trustees of the British Museum.
Where were the Jade bi and cong found?
Many of the jade bi and cong were found in tombs on or next to human remains . Archaeologists carbon-dated the human bones, which revealed the age of the bones; since the jade must have placed at the time of the burial, the age of the jade objects can be ascertained.
What dynasty was the Jade Cong?
Jade cong and bi. Ancient China includes the Neolithic period (10,000 -2,000 B.C.E.), the Shang dynasty (c. 1500-1050 B.C.E.) and the Zhou dynasty (1050-221 B.C.E.). Each age was distinct, but common to each period were grand burials for the elite from which a wealth of objects have been excavated.
What are the two types of jade?
They used two distinct types of ritual jade objects: a disc, later known as a bi, and a tube, later known as a cong. The main types of cong have 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 the meaning and purpose of bi and cong remain a mystery. They were buried in large numbers: one tomb alone had 25 bi and 33 cong. Spectacular examples have been found at all the major archaeological sites.
When were stone rings made?
Stone rings were being made by the peoples of eastern China as early as the fifth millennium B.C.E. Jade discs have been found carefully laid on the bodies of the dead in tombs of the Hongshan culture (about 3800-2700 B.C.E.), a practice which was continued by later Neolithic cultures.
Where did the Liangzhu people live?
A group of Neolithic peoples grouped today as the Liangzhu culture lived in the Jiangsu province of China during the third millennium B.C.E. Their jades, ceramics and stone tools were highly sophisticated.
Where did the Cong originate?
Although they were made at many stages of the Neolithic and early historic period, the origin of the cong in the Neolithic cultures of south-east China has only been recognized in the last thirty years. Cong were extremely difficult and time-consuming to produce.
Can jade be split?
As jade cannot be split like other stones, it must be worked with a hard abrasive sand. This one is exceptionally long and may have been particularly important in its time. Jade disc, or bi, Liangzhu culture, c. 2500 B.C.E., 18 cm in diameter.
When was jade made?
Chinese jade, any of the carved-jade objects produced in China from the Neolithic Period ( c. 3000–2000 bce) onward. The Chinese have historically regarded carved-jade objects as intrinsically valuable, and they metaphorically equated jade with purity and indestructibility.….
What is a cong made of?
The cong was used as a ritual utensil during sacrificial and burial ceremonies. It was also sometimes made of stone.
Jade Cong, c. 2500 B.C.E., Liangzhu culture, 3.4 x 12.7 cm, China
The Jade Cong was created in Ancient China. Ancient China includes the Neolithic period (10,000 -2,000 B.C.E.), the Shang dynasty (c. 1500-1050 B.C.E.) and the Zhou dynasty (1050-221 B.C.E.). A Cong is a tube with a circular inner section and squarish outer section.
JADE CONG, C. 2500 B.C.E., LIANGZHU CULTURE, 3.4 X 10.6 CM, CHINA
The principal decoration on cong of the Liangzhu period was the face pattern, which may refer to spirits or deities. On the square-sectioned pieces, like the examples here, the face pattern is placed across the corners, whereas on the bracelet form it appears in square panels.
Jade Cong, c. 2500 B.C.E., 49 cm high, China
Cong are among the most impressive yet most enigmatic of all ancient Chinese jade artifacts. Their function and meaning are completely unknown. Although they were made at many stages of the Neolithic and early historic period, the origin of the cong in the Neolithic cultures of south-east China has only been recognized in the last thirty years.
Jade disc, or bi, Liangzhu culture, c. 2500 B.C.E., 18 cm in diameter
Stone rings were being made by the peoples of eastern China as early as the fifth millennium B.C.E. Jade discs have been found carefully laid on the bodies of the dead in tombs of the Hongshan culture (about 3800-2700 B.C.E.), a practice which was continued by later Neolithic cultures.
When did the Jade Cong appear?
The jade cong must have been of great importance to the ancient Chinese and other civilizations in the country continued to manufacture the artifact. Several sophisticated examples of the cong appeared during the Shang (1600-c.1046 BC) and Zhou (1046 - 256 BC) dynasties.
Which country produced jade?
Ancient Chinese Produced Many Jade Artifacts. China has been the leading producer of jade objects for over 5,000 years. Jade is a very hard mineral. Most jade does not have a color and translucence that is expected in a gemstone.
What is the most perplexing ancient Chinese artifact?
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - One of the most perplexing ancient Chinese artifacts ever discovered is the jade cong that offers evidence our ancestors were familiar with advanced ancient technology. The purpose and function of the jade cong are still unknown.
How is a cong formed?
A cong is formed as a tube with a circular inner section and squarish outer section. The outer surface is divided horizontally or vertically that the whole defines a hollow cylinder embedded in a partial rectangular block. A cong was produced in various sizes, shapes and with different decorations.
What is jade used for?
Jade has been used to make a variety of jewelry items such as pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, beads, cabochons, tumbled stones, and other items. These jewelry items are often made of solid jade, combined with other gems, or placed in settings made from gold, silver, or other precious metals.
What is a cong shaped as a square tube with a circular hole?
Congs shaped as a square tube with a circular hole are among the most impressive yet enigmatic of all ancient Chinese jades. Their function and meaning are completely unknown.
When were congs first made?
The earliest cong were produced by the Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC); Sometimes, a jade cong may be squat or taller than it is wide. The outer faces are sometimes decorated with mask-like faces, which may be related to the " taotie", a motif found on later Chinese ritual bronze vessels dated the Shang and Zhou dynasty.
Where did the Jade discs come from?
The Mysterious Origin of the Jade Discs. Relics from the Niuheliang Goddess Temple , the most mysterious site of the ancient Hongshan. Chinese civilization may have begun 2,400 years earlier than previously thought. Jade cong from Liangzhu culture, Neolithic Period (3300 - 2200 BC), lower Yangzi River Valley (CC BY-SA 2.5 )
What are the two most prominent types of jade objects?
The jade objects of the Liangzhu culture are commonly believed to have been used for ritual purposes, and the two most prominent types of such objects are known as cong (琮) and bi (璧).
Why were the Cong and Bi buried with the dead?
Although we no longer know why the cong and bi were buried with the dead Liangzhu elite, it is likely that they had an influence on later Chinese mortuary practice. This is because the burial of jade objects with the dead continued well into Chinese history.
What is the meaning of "Bi" and "Jade"?
Elaborate Jade ‘Cong’ and ‘Bi’ as Grave Goods of the Liangzhu Culture . The Liangzhu culture (written in Chinese as 良渚文化) is a Neolithic culture that existed from around 3300 BC until 2300 BC. The archaeological evidence suggests that the Liangzhu culture possessed knowledge of silk weaving, lacquering, and the use of mortise-and-tenon joints in ...
What are the architectural remains of Liangzhu?
The architectural remains of the Liangzhu culture include city walls, residences, docks, workshops, altars, and tombs. It is from the last of these, in particular those belonging to the elite, that many high quality jade artifacts have been found. Jade in burial, Liangzhu culture (CC BY-SA 2.5 )
What is a cong?
The Cong. A cong may most simply be described as a “squared tube with a round hole”. There are two types of cong – single-section ones, as well as longer types. The cong is said to have been a symbol of supreme power, and many of these objects have been found to be large, even, and of a symmetrical shape. The squared corners of the cong are usually ...
Why are jade disks placed on the head?
One suggestion is that the jade disks were meant to guide the soul of the deceased into heaven. Another suggestion is that jade was believed to prevent the decomposition of the flesh.
