Two jade tablets, gui, and a jade pig, Western Han dynasty | 西漢 玉圭兩件 及 玉豬握一件

Acquired in Hong Kong, 1994-2002.

1994至2002年購於香港

The pig is vividly depicted despite its smooth form and simple decoration. Compare a pair of related jade pigs dated to the mid-Western Han dynasty in the Yongcheng Museum, Henan province, published in ‘Henan Yongcheng Xishan Erhao Hanmu Qingli Jianbao’ [Cleaning report of Han Tomb No. 2 in Xishan, Yongcheng, Henan]’, Wenwu [Cultural Relics], 2011, vol. 2, pp. 20-25. Compare also a celadon jade pig in the Xuzhou Museum, illustrated in Liao Wei, ‘Xihan Yu Zhuwo Xingzhi ji Chicun Kao [The Shape and Size of Western Han Pig-shaped Jade Shouwo]’, Hunansheng Bowuguan Guankan [Journal of Hunan Provincial Museum], Changsha, 2019, p. 373, fig. 3.

Jade gui tablet is a ceremonial object that has appeared since the beginning of Chinese jade culture. Over millennia, there is no significant changes to its form and shape, except for a type of Han-dynasty jade gui tablets that were made in slightly smaller sizes, often found in a group of several pieces together with the circular jade bi discs, which seems to be produced under standardised orders. Two gui-bi sets were unearthed from the imperial mausoleum of Emperor Zhao of Han, one includes seven gui tablets and the other contains eight. Each set was placed in a circle with the tip pointing towards a bi disc at the centre. See these sets published in Shaanxi Chutu Handai Yuqi [Han Dynasty Jades Unearthed in Shaanxi], Beijing, 2009, pl. 19. 

青玉質，玉豬線條簡潔圓潤然神態盡出，玉圭尖首，方身，素面，皆打磨光亮。

此件豬握形態圓潤，裝飾極簡，然而神態生動。可比較河南永城市博物館藏一對西漢中期玉豬握，形貌風格相似，見《河南永城僖山二號漢墓清理簡報》，載於《文物》，2011 年2 期，頁20至25。徐州博物館藏一件青玉豬握亦資參考，見廖薇撰，《西漢玉豬握形制及尺寸考》，載於《湖南省博物館館刊》，長沙，2019年，頁373，圖3。

玉圭為華夏玉文化伊始便出現之禮器，其形制數千年來皆無大變，惟兩漢時期一類玉圭尺寸偏小，一墓常出數件，與圓璧合用，似有定式。漢昭帝平陵出土兩套圭璧，出土時圓璧居中，七件或八件玉圭圭尖朝內呈圓周狀擺放，現藏咸陽市博物館，玉圭尺寸、打磨與本對相類，見《陝西出土漢代玉器》，北京，2009年，圖版19。