Disk (bi 璧)

Object Details

• Description

  Thin perforated disc of the type pi [bi] 璧; translucent, mottled light golden browns and pale yellowish green; outer edge uneven and much thinner than at perforation; several dark strata cracks.

  Acquired with a box, now lost.

  (Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, March 24, 2009) Possibly late Neolithic. Coarse grained material, light golden brown and pale yellowish green. Unevenly round, uneven thickness, edge thinner than center at hole. Surface repolished smooth; convex profile of hole also suggests repolishing of biconical hole.

• Provenance

  To 1917

  Tonying and Company, New York to 1917 [1]

  From 1917 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tonying and Company, New York in 1917 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1069, pg. 238, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. By at least 1917, Tonying and Company maintained business locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, London, and New York, NY.

  [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

• Exhibition History

  Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

  Ancient Chinese Jade (September 4, 1980 to March 6, 1981)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• On View

  Freer Gallery 19: Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 3000s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tonying and Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Chinese Art, Nephrite, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects

• On View

  Yes