Disk (bi 璧)

Object Details

• Description

  Perforated disk of the type pi [bi] 璧; bored mostly from one side leaving slight ridge; obverse of mottled pastel tones of gray, cream, white, and pink, reverse is creamy white and gray; both surfaces have rough areas of unpolished granular gray rock and the whole substance is a fusion of many shapes and materials; white encrustation and incipient disintegration. (Pitted areas, cracks, and fissures on rim and surfaces.)

• Provenance

  To 1918

  Wang Jiantang, Shanghai to 1918 [1]

  From 1918 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Wang Jiantang in 1918 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1350, 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

  Wang Jiantang 王鑑堂 (late 19th-early 20th century) (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)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 2000s, BCE 3000s

• Name

  Wang, Jiantang, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  Lake Tai region, China

• Topic

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

• Culture

  Chinese, Liangzhu culture

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects