Page 39 - Bonhams Hong King May 30 2017 THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES

The inscription on the back reads Zhui wang san nian zheng yue chu ji 商或以後 玉圭
(隹王三年正月初吉), which translates as ‘the first auspicious day in the
first month of the third year of the King’s calendar’. 來源：
2010年購於香港
Administration by rites and ceremonies was a core part of 松竹堂收藏，編號22
consolidating, legitimising and asserting power under the Shang
dynasty’s political system. Ritual jades including jade ceremonial 出版及著錄：
blades or tablets (gui), notched axes (qi) and halberd blades (ge) 霍滿棠，《韞玉生輝 - 松竹堂珍藏玉器》，香港，2011年，圖版22
emerged in addition to the traditional bi and cong, and became
important objects in life and death. Gui tablets were held by kings and 此件玉圭青灰色玉質，局部受沁呈褐色。器作扁平長條梯形，內壁微
the high nobility on ceremonial occasions. Large quantities of jade 拱，正面雙鈎線淺浮雕獸面紋和鳥紋，背面中部凸起並刻「隹王三年
ritual wares were excavated from the Yin ruins at Anyang, most notably 正月初吉」。此器所飾的獸面和鳥紋風格非常罕見，線條流暢且構圖
in Fu Hao’s tomb which included hundreds of different kinds of jade 嚴謹，雕刻細膩，所運用的浮雕和雙鈎線工藝表現出商代的玉器製作
implements including gui tablets. 已達令人嘆為觀止的程度。

The present gui is remarkable for its unusual treatment of the mythical 圭是禮儀用玉，象徵王權，新石器時代的玉錛及商代的玉鏟皆與圭類
beast and bird motifs carefully utilising the carving techniques of
both low relief and double-line incision, displaying an impressive 似，至春秋戰國時期圭的使用更為廣泛，在墓葬中常被放置在頭部、
craftsmanship. 胸部、腹部和腳部附近以及棺槨之間，可見圭的用途遠比記載的要複

雜得多。