Page 54 - JJ Lally Ancient Chinese Jades, 1988
P. 54
41. A N eolithic Jade Ornament with Incised Mask
Liangzhu Culture, circa 3300–2250 B.C.
the flat quadrangular plaque decorated on one side in very fine incised lines with an elaborate
mask with circular eyes within elliptical ovals joined by a bridge above an oval ‘nose’ and an
elongated oval ‘mouth’, surmounted by a high ‘headdress’ of radiating lines rising to a bracket
shape top and centered with a small face within a quadrilateral frame, the reverse plain, the sides
of the plaque with shallow rounded indentations cut out near the top and tapering down to an inset
narrow flange pierced with three holes for mounting, the dark reddish-brown stone with cloudy
degraded surface.
Width 2 ⁄8 inches (5.4 cm)
1
Ex J.J. Lally & Co., 1994 catalogue no. 29
A closely related double mask design is incised on a crown shape jade plaque with pierced flange for attachment excavated
in 1987 from a Liangzhu site at Yaoshan, Zhejiang province, illustrated in Liangzhu wenhua yuqi (Liangzhu Culture Jades),
Hong Kong 1989, p. 93, no. 120-121. It has been suggested that the design is meant to show a deified shaman image,
identified by his human face and large flaring feather headdress, riding on the head of a giant monster with animal eyes.
อͩኜࣛ˾cԄଃग़ࠦ७ུ͗cᄱ 5.4᩶Ϸc
Ը๕cᔝଣઠ 1994त࢝ྡୋ 29
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