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mask, and the mask's position in the burial — on Jade plaque with animal design
the waist of tomb's occupant—indicate that it was
3
Height 9.5 (3 / 4), width 28.6 (n'A)
probably the upper part of a composition or an
Hongshan Culture, 4700-2920 BCE
important element of a belt. The archaeological
From Niuheliang, Jianping, Liaoning Province
report states that Tomb 21 overlapped with Tomb 4
(the find-site of the coiled dragons and the hollow Liaoning Provincial Institute of Archaeology,
6
cylindrical jade [cats. 10,11]) and Tomb 14, an Shenyang
indication that it is an earlier burial. Like the turtle
carapace, this animal mask probably is the earlier This plaque, the largest jade of the Hongshan cul-
form of such representations in the Hongshan ture excavated thus far, was positioned vertically in
1
culture. The animal mask constitutes a dominant the tomb, with its back facing up. Thin and finely
motif in Shang ritual bronzes (see cats. 57, 70), and engraved, the object produces a clear, ringing tone
its origin, meaning, and function have long been a when struck. Both sides are carved with patterns
focus of scholarly inquiry. The discovery of jades of resembling tiles, although the front is more ele-
the Liangzhu culture carved with animal motifs (see gantly and delicately worked. At center, openwork
cats. 29, 30), has led some scholars to trace the and engraving allow the upper part to look like a
origin of Shang animal masks back to the Liangzhu pair of round eyes and eyebrows of a bird or animal;
culture of the lower Yangzi River delta, but animal immediately below, five striations suggest birds'
masks appear among other prehistoric as well, feet, or perhaps animal teeth. Extensions from the
7
including the Hongshan culture, and it is likely middle to the two sides resemble wings in flight; the
that the later form of the motif drew inspiration tilelike patterns on the jade may represent feathers
from various sources in ancient China. XY — perhaps those of an owl, a frequent image in
prehistoric China (along with abstract or mythical
1 Excavated in 1989; reported: Liaoning i997b. birds) that became quite popular by the Shang
2 Henan 1989,12.
3 Fang and Liu 1984, 3; and Liaoning 19973, 6. period (c. 1600-1100 BCE). The precise iconogra-
4 Anhui 1989, 6. phy, however, remains disputed: other scholars have
5 Shanxi 1994,18. argued that it represents a phoenix, a dragon, the
6 Liaoning 1986. 2
7 Yang 1999, chap. 3. tusks of a boar, deer antlers — even a rose. Burials
of the Hongshan culture have yielded many jade
animals and birds whose iconography is less enig-
matic than that of this example; the most plausible
interpretation of the image is that it combines
elements of certain birds or animals in an abstract
manner, but the uniqueness and this abstractness
of this plastic form make the precise identification
of the image — much less its meaning — hypotheti-
cal. While several jades resembling this example
appear in collections, this is the sole example re-
covered by archaeological excavation. XY

1 Excavated in 1995 from Tomb 27 Mound i, Locality 2.
The tomb has not been fully reported, but see Liaoning
199/d, 71.
2 Deng 1992, 8; Du 1998, 62; Liu 1998, 77; and Liaoning
i 99 7d, 71.

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