Page 96 - JJ Lally Ancient Chinese Jades, 1988

80. A Large Segmented Archaic Jade Disc ( Bi )
Western Zhou Dynasty (1050–771 B.C.)
in nine roughly equal flat fan-shaped segments, each cut in a concave arc at the narrow end and
in a corresponding concave arc at the wide end, perforated with four small holes near the straight
inner edge of each section to allow the segments to be tied together to form a large bi, the stone of
mottled olive green color with cloudy areas showing the effects of long burial.

Diameter 17¼ inches (43.8 cm)
Smaller segmented jade bi made in three segments with holes drilled at the inner edges to allow the segments to be tied
together have been found occasionally in Neolithic tombs and appear more frequently in Shang and Western Zhou burials,
but a large nine-piece example is extremely rare.
Compare the smaller jade bi made in three plain segments illustrated by Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing,
London, 1995, p. 158, no. 7:9, dated “Shang or Western Zhou”, with a description of the cutting of the segments and the
perforations which lists characteristics matching the present example. Rawson suggests these segmented jade bi may have
been made for different reasons at different times and speculates “…jade carvers may have deliberately copied ancient rings
that had been mended…” but goes on to say the Shang and Zhou discs made up of divided segments of equal size probably
had a special significance.

Гմcɘዺ͗ᓴଡ଼cࢰ 43.8᩶Ϸ

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