Page 43 - Chang Wei-Hwa Collection Hong Kong Nov 2019 Christie's

fig. 4 Photo provided by Wang Mingda fig. 5 Photo provided by Wang Mingda fig. 6 Photo provided by Wang Mingda
எ୨ எ‷⊐ℳᚺ㙤ᓽ؊ எՆ எ‷⊐ℳᚺ㙤ᓽ؊ எݪ எ‷⊐ℳᚺ㙤ᓽ؊

birds with pointed beaks, long necks, and large wings flanking the 㩠჌㊯ᚺ厍औӬⰮ᳜ᙔࢇӲ❥ℱ↼卿ἃ᱆ᮅ㱛ឿंྒྷࢦՀ⽚

humanoid-deity mask on the second tier. Such mythical birds are less ತ߅க卻⤔⽚ἃ㱛ं . 卼 䢰ॲՎ䢱卿᫉։ℱ↼଍㕇१
commonly found on Liangzhu jades although they have appeared on a ⍈㵶ᆨ卿࣊଍㵶ഌᙻངऑ⎏ംᇎ卿㫍὞଍ߎӲ❥卿ᦔஎႫߛ
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two-tiered cong discovered at Fuquanshan M9:21 (fig. 5).
Ք⏟ַ卿ֿ㫌ߴԠ⤇ᢣᚺ㰆⠈೧卿⯝ӳ㘚୨։卻㉙Ӭ⯍㉙୨卼
All the five three-tiered examples hereto mentioned are squat with ℱ↼ࢥߣࢦߎ㰆ⶬǯ
the height smaller than the outer diametre of the mouth, and have
highly similar incised decorations. However, the present jade cong
bears exquisite cloud-scrolls on the eyelids of the animal masks, and
only the Yuhang Yaoshan M12:7 jade cong has achieved such a level
ᲃ
of craftsmanship. According to the author’s non-exhaustive statistics, ǶंྒྷǷ卿᱆ᮅ⏥ᙔ⁒⩠ऒⒺ♾Ꮢⶬ卿Ƕᙔ⁒߅‸▘Ƿ ჺ✄Ӭ‸ǯ
the number of Liangzhu jade cong in public and private collections Ƕ⇬ྒྷǷ卿᱆ᮅ⏥ᙔ⁒⩠ऒⒺ♾Ꮢⶬ卿Ƕᙔ⁒߅‸▘Ƿ ჺ✄Ӭ‸ǯ
㱛ឿ⥂ᙔ❖ᝯᮨᇪ▼厍Ƕ᱆ᮅ⏥㱛ឿ⥂໫ᵏ⇬ྒྷ ⽚ತ⩠ऒ➯౗Ƿ卿Ƕែ
worldwide totals around 200, of which only six are three-tiered
ࢶᙔࢇǷ ჺ ᝲǯ
(the sixth example is described below). Judging from their forms, ◙ᯛྒྷ⩠ऒ㪓厍Ƕӳᱡ◙ᯛྒྷ㚃நॕ།ౚತ஠⎉ᓒǷ卿Ƕԋஇᙔ⁒౗Ƿ
decorations and carving techniques and relevant archaeological data, ჺ ᝲ ᚚǯ
ӳᱡႪᙔ⁒❖↚උ৘ᝯ厍Ƕ◙ᯛྒྷǷ卿Ƕᙔ⁒߅‸▘Ƿ卿 ჺ ᝲ✄Ӭ‸ǯ
these five Liangzhu jade cong were made by the early Liangzhu Culture
ǶंྒྷǷ卿᱆ᮅ⏥ᙔ⁒⩠ऒⒺ♾Ꮢⶬ卿Ƕᙔ⁒߅‸▘Ƿ ჺ✄Ӭ‸ǯ
and belonged to the nobility of the highest rank.
Superb quality, distinctive form, ingenious composition, and
἖ᒝ㑇 8BOH .JOHEB
extraordinary workmanship make the current cong a treasure among
Liangzhu jades! ໝ⁥ᑞ⳹๷ǐ ໝ٫̺૯ೀᢶ
܂☴⡃۵പᜬₖᜬǐ㟌ᕩྐྵ̢܂ע⡃۵
Note: Another three-tiered Liangzhu jade cong was excavated at Ⅼኵ⊝②ǐᕍͯۥ൶Ǐ῏൶ ܐη Ǐٺ
Tomb No. 12 at the Fanshan Site in Yuhang, Zhejiang (No. Yu-Fan ⿭൶Ǐ⬅⿰൶Ǐ੘൶⓼⨑ᪿᐷ٪㑦ঋۢ
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M12:97) (fig. 6). This jade cong is lean and tall, with height greater ࢦ⧁Ǐ᫶๷Ǐ⧓൶Ǐ♩⧁ঃڈ⓼⡃۵Ⅼ
than the outer diameter of the mouth. Although it is three-tiered with ኵ㦨㡶ǐ ໝけ᳦ᨩᥨ⇈ᐷḵ⡃۵⊝
②ᆵ⊝②޻ǐᕍͯˮ४⡃۵ೀᕒώ̢Ǐ
similar configuration, the incised decorations are much cruder and
ˮ४ᐷḵೀᕒἔࣰപᜬ୮޻ᕒ׺ᕒ㟌ǐ
distinguishably different from the other jade cong described above.
ήͯˮ४ᐷḵೀᕒἔࣰപᜬ୮޻ᕒṁ⡿
㧣ࠑ䢲ᨩᥨ⇈ἔᐷ٪⊝②ᕒັف׺ᕒ㟌ǐ
Wang Mingda was born in Suzhou in
1943 and graduated from the Department of History with a concentration in
NOTE archaeology from Peking University in 1966. He has since devoted his career
1 Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, “Fanshan”, Wen Wu
to pre-historic archaeology, having served as the team leader of many major
Chubanshe (Cultural Relics Press), 2005, first edition.
2 Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, “Yaoshan”, Wen Wu archaeological excavations, most notably those of Liangzhu Culture at Fanshan,
Chubanshe (Cultural Relics Press), 2003, first edition. Yaoshan (collaboration), Huiguanshan, Mojiaoshan, and Tangshan, as well as
3 Shen Dexiang of Yuhang County Cultural Management Association: excavations in the Jiaxing, Huzhou, Zhoushan, and Shaoxing areas. He was
“Archaeological Briefing of Anxi Yaoshan Tomb No. 12 in Yuhang County, appointed as a Researcher at the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of
Zhejiang Province”, Dongnan Wenhua (Southeastern Culture), May 1988. Zhejiang Province in 1992. He had served as the Director of the Chinese Society
4 Fuquanshan Archaeological Team, “Excavation of Wujiachang Cemetery at the
of Archaeology, and the Vice-Chairman of the Jade Specialty Committee of
Fuquanshan Site in Shanghai”, Zhongguo Wen Wu Bao (China Cultural Relics),
October 21, 2011. the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics. He is currently a consultant for the
5 Shanghai Cultural Relics Management Committee, “Fuquanshan”, Wen Wu Jade Specialty Committee of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, and a
Chubanshe (Cultural Relics Press), October 2000, first edition. Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Jade Culture Research Association of Zhejiang
6 Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, “Fanshan”, Wen Wu
Province.
Chubanshe (Cultural Relics Press), 2005, first edition.
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