A JADE BEAD LIANGZHU CULTURE, NEOLITHIC PERIOD

of cylindrical form, finely incised around the sides with two bands enclosing designs of scrolls and whorls, the stone of a warm ivory-white tone embellished with deep orange-red to enhance the carving

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 142.

The overall condition is very good with only light wear to the carved surface and a few minute nicks to the edges.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lustrous and ivory-white in colour, with ochre-coloured suffusions, the surface and motif of this piece suggest that it probably derives from a Liangzhu site in Zhejiang province. Many beads of all sizes have been found in Liangzhu tombs, and a large number of them are decorated with faces, often arranged on two tiers. Two closely related beads in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, are illustrated in Neolithic Jades in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, pls 26, 27; two in the Simon Kwan collection were included in the exhibition Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no 47; and a pair in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 5:11.