A rare jade 'mask' ornament, huang, Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture | 新石器時代　良渚文化獸面紋玉璜

Acquired in Taipei, c. early 2000s.

The rare jade 'mask' huang ornament from the Liangzhu culture exemplifies the refined aesthetic sensibilities and exceptional technical expertise characteristic of Liangzhu jade craftsmanship.

The Liangzhu culture, which is named after a village near Hangzhou in Zhejiang, flouring circa 3300 - 2300 BC in the lower Yangtze River region, is renowned for its jade carvings, particularly cong and huang ornaments decorated with stylised masks. This rare jade 'mask' huang ornament is closely related to a small group of bracelet-shaped cong also known as zhuo, appeared among the earliest Liangzhu jades, and were worn by both sexes. Compare a closely related jade 'mask' bracelet unearthed from the Liangzhu Culture archaeological site at Yuhang, Zhejiang, illustrated in Yang Boda, Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], vol. 3, Hebei, 2005, pl. 251. See also another related jade huang ornament, carved with four masks, illustrated in ibid., pl.283.

來源

約2000年代初購於台北

良渚遺址近浙江杭州， 鼎盛期約公元前三千多年至二千年間，遺址出土大量玉器，以璧、琮為多。此件良渚玉璜雕琢獸面紋，尤為珍罕，與良渚文化早期之手鐲形玉琮或玉琢有密切關聯，見1987年浙江餘杭縣安溪鄉下西灣村瑤山墓地出土的獸面玉鐲，著錄於楊伯達編《中國玉器全集（上）》，河北，2005年，圖版251；又可參考同書著錄一件類似的良渚玉璜，器呈白色，亦以淺浮雕技法飾四個龍首裝飾，風格、技法與本品頗為相近，著錄於同書圖版283。