Disk (bi 璧)
![Detail of a pattern](https://asia.si.edu/wp-content/themes/custom/nmaa/nmaa-frontend/public/images/hero-bkgrnd-desktop.jpg)
Terms of Use
Creative CommonsAt A Glance
-
Period
ca. 3300-2250 BCE -
Geography
Lake Tai region, China -
Material
Jade (nephrite) -
Dimension
Diam x D: 17.1 x 1.4 cm (6 3/4 x 9/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1911.444 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1911.444
Object Details
-
Description
Perforated disk of the type pi [bi] 璧; bored from both sides, leaving a pronounced median ridge; rich mottled browns with excessive white disintegration, one area near rim completely decomposed on both sides; proportions irregular; surface rough with cracks and pits of decomposition. (Rim broken and chipped.)Acquired with a box, now lost. -
Provenance
To 1911Pa Ku Cha, China, to 1911 [1]From 1911 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Pa Ku Cha, China, in 1911 [2]From 1920Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]Notes:[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, pg. 94, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.[2] See note 1.[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Previous custodian or owner
Pa Ku Cha (C.L. Freer source)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) -
Origin
Lake Tai region, China -
Culture
Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE -
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer -
Type
Ceremonial Object -
Restrictions and Rights
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.
Keep Exploring
-
Related Resources
-
Date
-
Name
-
Place
-
Topic
-
Culture
-
Object Type