Page 95 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

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down on the right side of the abdomen overlapping
2
the braceletlike jade. Four pairs of shallow open-
ings at the back of the plaque suggest that it was
attached to another object — although probably
not fabric or clothing, since such attachments com-
monly have sharp edges and protrusions. Though
the object is often identified as a pendant, an alter-
native hypothesis identifies its function as ceremo-
3
nial and relates it to the ritual fu oryue axes. Its
FIG. i. Jade arm orna- conspicuous position on the body and its size (it is
3
ment; length 7.1 (2 A); largest jade in the burial) suggests that it surpassed
Lower Xiajiadian culture;
excavated in 1977 from the other jades in importance.
Tomb 659, Dadianzi, The jade arm ornament (cat. 19) and a jade
Aohanqi, Inner Mongolia. bracelet were excavated in 1986 from Tomb 9, Local-
Adapted from Zhongguo
1996,172, fig. 82:2. ity 3. Originally reported to have been found on the

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