AN ARCHAIC YELLOW JADE HOOF-SHAPED ORNAMENT NEOLITHIC PERIOD, HONGSHAN CULTURE |

delicately worked with thin tapered sides hollowed out in the centre and widening to a sloped upper edge, the interior of one side subtly detailed with linear ridges and grooves, the stone of a variegated yellow and celadon colour with icy and russet inclusions

Eskenazi Ltd, London.

There are minor chips to the edges, the largest measuring approx. 2.5 cm to the lower edge. Small sections have possibly been lightly polished to conceal natural flaws/minor flakes.
"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."

Large jade ornaments of this particular form were a product of the Hongshan culture, and examples have been recovered at the Niuheliang burial site in Liaoning province. While generally referred to as headpieces, Jenny F. So has recently suggested that they may have been worn on the forearm to protect the arm and wrist (Jenny F. So, Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 2019, p. 74). She cites an example worn on the forearm of the occupant of Site III at Niuheliang, and another recovered from the Bronze Age burial site at Dadianzi, in present-day Inner Mongolia. Hoof-shaped ornaments are known with or without the groves on the interior; compare an example from the collection of David David-Weill, included in the exhibition Mostra d’Arte Cinese, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 185; one from the Charles Vignier collection illustrated in Otto Kuemmel, Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst, Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 160; another from the Winthrop collection, in the Harvard Art Museum, illustrated op.cit., pl. 1; and a further example from the collection of Professor Max Loehr, sold in our Paris rooms, 15th December 2016, lot 23.