Jade Bi

Tags: jade | plate

Jade Bi
Diameter: 15.8 cm
Diameter of the hole: 4.4 cm
Lianzhu Culture

In ancient China there is a belief that heaven is round and earth is rectangular. There is also belief that the sacrifice artifact must resemble the form of its receiver. On this basis, the sacrifice artifact for heaven is Bi, a jade disk. Sometimes the quantity of excavated Bi may be several hundreds in the same burial ground, testifying its privileged status of being the symbol of wealth and power. This artifact is glossy without any pattern. Permeated by water and buried minerals underground, this artifact is multicolored and emits an antique and simplistic beauty. This is one of the premium examples of ancient jade Bi.

 

National Museum of History