Five-tier tube (cong 琮) with masks

Squared hollow cylinder of the type ts’ung [cong] 琮; short projecting collar at top and base; interior has circular boring marks and irregular median ridge; mottled orange, yellow, reddish and dark browns; decoration: channeled and incised, vertical grooves on sides, bands, grooves and circles on corners. (Scattered chips and small surface defects.)

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Maker(s)
Artist: Liangzhu culture 良渚 (ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE)
Historical period(s)
Late Neolithic period, ca. 3300-2250 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 11.3 x 5.9 x 6 cm (4 7/16 x 2 5/16 x 2 3/8 in) Diam (hole): 4.7 cm (1 13/16 in)
Geography
China, Lake Tai region, but purportedly found at Luoyang, Henan province
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1917.368
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceremonial Object, Jade
Type

Ceremonial object: cong

Keywords
China, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), nephrite, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Squared hollow cylinder of the type ts’ung [cong] 琮; short projecting collar at top and base; interior has circular boring marks and irregular median ridge; mottled orange, yellow, reddish and dark browns; decoration: channeled and incised, vertical grooves on sides, bands, grooves and circles on corners. (Scattered chips and small surface defects.)

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Terms of Use

Related Objects