Ornament (shi 飾) with mask and headdress

Object Details

• Description

  A semi-human face with a long neck; pronounced round nose; almond-shaped eyes; elaborate headdress with fine details; biconically perforated earrings flank the face; mouth revealing tusks pointing both up and down and two rows of teeth; semi-translucent, light green jade with white flecking; subtle relief effects; single conical bore top to bottom in base.

• Collection

  Long-term loan

• Origin

  Hubei province, Middle Yangzi valley, China

• Culture

  Shijiahe culture, ca. 2500-ca. 2000 BCE

• Credit Line

  Long-term loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.276.1

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 2000s

• Place

  China, Hubei province, Middle Yangzi valley

• Topic

  Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Carving, Chinese Art, Nephrite, Jade, Masks, Gellatly collection

• Culture

  Shijiahe culture, Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry