Ornament (shi 飾) with mask

Flat plaque ornament with semi-human face; almond-shaped eyes; wide mouth revealing fangs pointing up and down and one row of teeth; biconically perforated round earrings flank the face; ornate nose design; light green jade with traces of calcification below.

Maker(s)
Artist: Shijiahe culture 石家河 (ca. 2500 - ca. 2000 BCE)
Historical period(s)
Late Neolithic period, ca. 2500 - 2000 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.7 x 7 x 0.5 cm (1 7/16 x 2 3/4 x 3/16 in)
Geography
China, Middle Yangzi valley, Hubei province
Credit Line
Long-term loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.276.3
Collection
Gellatly collection
Accession Number
LTS1985.1.276.3
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Ornament

Keywords
carving, China, Gellatly collection, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), mask, nephrite
Provenance
Provenance information is currently unavailable
Description

Flat plaque ornament with semi-human face; almond-shaped eyes; wide mouth revealing fangs pointing up and down and one row of teeth; biconically perforated round earrings flank the face; ornate nose design; light green jade with traces of calcification below.

Published References
  • Alfred Salmony. Carved Jade of Ancient China. Berkeley, 1938. cat. 6-7, pl. 31.
  • Doris J. Dohrenwend. Jade Demonic Images from Early China. vol. 10 Washington and Ann Arbor, 1975. fig. 12.
  • Elizabeth Childs-Johnson. Ritual and Power: Jades of Ancient China. Exh. cat. New York, April 22, 1988 - June 18, 1988. cat. 87, p. 23.
  • Minao Hayashi. Chūgoku kodai no ishibōchōkei gyokki to kotsusenkei gyokki (Two Types of Prehistorical Chinese Ceremonial Jade Objects: Stone Harvesting Knives and Bone Spades). No. 54, 1982. p. 46, fig. 50.
  • Wu Hung. Yizu zaoqi de yushi diaoke (A Group of Early Jade and Stone Carvings)., 1979. p. 69, fig. 10.
  • Elizabeth Childs-Johnson Fang Gu. Yuqi shidai: Meiguo bowuguan cang Zhongguo zaoqi yuqi (The Jade Age: Early Chinese Jades in American Museums). Beijing, 2009. pp. 150-151.
  • Minao Hayashi. Chūgoku kogyokuki sōsetsu. Tokyo, 1999. p. 251, fig. 5: 119.
  • New Frontiers in Global Archaeology (Quan qiu hua bei jing xia kao gu xue xin qian yan): Defining China's Ancient Traditions (jie du Zhongguo gu dai chuan tong). New York, 2008. p. 306.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Rights Statement

Non-exclusive license

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