Page 18 - Sotheby's Part I Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

The Liangzhu culture in the Yangtze River Delta, which flourished ڗϪɨದᐑ˄ಳݴਹԄଃ˖׼dʮʩۃߒɧɷεϋЇɚɷϋସ฽
from the late 4th to the end of the 3rd millennium BC, was one ɓࣛdމܝ˰वɨʔˇ˖ʷ፲ପd༐௰ࠠࠅٙʕ਷อͩኜࣛ˾˖
of the most prominent Neolithic Chinese civilizations. Among the ʷʘɓfၝᝈԄଃ̚يd຅ʕɦˈ˸͗∑௰Ո˾ڌ׌dεя̮˙
large variety of Liangzhu artefacts, cong – tubular jades with a central ʫ෥ʘًdස஢൮ૄԴ͜f͗∑ࡡԸٙ൥ᅄၾ͜௄d޴ڦϘʊᎇ
perforation – stand out as iconic of this culture. They were made Ԅଃ˖ʷٙসໝϾ⛥๘dШֻܝᅰɷϋdεˇᔛ࢕eኪ٫eᖵΘ
for the most prestigious ranks in the society. Although the original
meanings of cong were lost following the decline of the Liangzhu ᅉՉόe޼Չ່eᚃՉႡfԄଃᒱ؝d͗∑π˰dίʕ਷ᖵஔዝ
culture, their form continued to fascinate generations of collectors, ̦ႀ̨ɪᖢЦࠅࢩd๕Ⴣݴڗf
connoisseurs, scholars and artisans for centuries. The importance of
cong in the history of Chinese art therefore cannot be overstated. ͗∑ᕑۨdમ˓ᙃʘόdя෥Җdུఊᄴᖕࠦ७d̶ͦ෥ບdφ
˫ۤᄘf͗∑̮࿊ܝနᒈ͍˙dྡࣩɰһމᐿልdϻڿग़ɛdɨ
The earliest cong have the form of a circular bangle with a single Ϟᖕࠦd෥ͦฆ̉dɹᄀတၢ՜Ϝ୚७fᝈग़ɛᖕࠦʹಁމུʘ
tier of zoomorphic masks. The rectangular form soon took over ͗∑d̙઄ϤኜɪהུᏐ᙮ग़ɛʘᑕdᕘɪዑ७א൥ᅄՉϻڿf
and the motif became more complex, often featuring a crowned ՑəԄଃ˖ʷૉಂd̈ତ༰ενϤۜٙεᄴ͗∑dྡࣩٙ௕Ս୚
human figure, perhaps a shaman, on top of an animal mask with ᇞ༰ˇdࠦ७һᒈᔊߒf
protruding goggled eyes. Examples with alternating registers of
stylised human faces and animal masks suggest that the motif seen ᕐᄴ͗∑dˀʆ፲ѧ೯ઢϞԈdଫ༰Ϥ৷dᇜ໮M14:181dତᔛ
on the present cong represents the face of the shaman and the ؄ψԄଃ௹ي᎜dϗɝԄଃၾ̚˾ʕ਷j͗ኜᜑͪٙʞɷϋ˖
striated bands probably symbolise the headdress. Towards the dusk ׼‘d݂ࢗ௹ي৫d̏ԯd2019ϋdᇜ໮11dԨ̤̊ɓˉʂ༰
of the Liangzhu civilization, these elaborate, fine engravings slowly ɽٙᕐᄴ͗∑d͗ሯe̍ᆉѩၾϤ޴ᗳdኜʫ௕Ս৻ඤ੿Ⴁ་
disappeared and simpler designs appeared, while at the same time
taller cong with multiple rows of faces were made. ˖dᇜ໮198f

A slightly taller cong with two tiers of faces was excavated from Ϥ͗∑Շᄴུ७я˥̻࿁၈d͍ˀग़ɛᑕ࢙ɪɨ࿁๫d฽މӼ
Fanshan, no. M14:181, now in the Liangzhu Museum, Hangzhou, and Ϟd͊ԈϞᗳԷഹ፽f್ग़ɛᖕࠦ७ٙб͉҅ڢɓϓʔᜊdν̏
included in Liangzhu and Ancient China: The 5000 Year Civilization ԯ݂ࢗ௹ي৫ᔛሌЍᕐᄴ͗∑dᖕࠦίɪdग़ɛίɨdၾɓছண
Demonstrated by Jades, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2019, cat. no. 11, ࠇࠕମf༈∑ʫɰ᚟৻ඤ੿Ⴁ་̩d̈ஈΝɪdᇜ໮199f
together with a larger two-tiered example with a patina similar to
that of the present example, inscised on the interior in the Qianlong
period with an imperial poem, cat. no. 198.

The arrangement of the confronting rows of faces on the present
cong is highly unusual and no other example appears to be published.
However, compositional deviation is known in the Liangzhu culture;
a brown jade two-tiered example carved with animal masks above
the row of shamen, also later inscribed with an imperial poem by
the Qianlong Emperor, is preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing
(ibid., cat. no. 199).

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