Cylinder
ca. 3200 BC-2200 BC (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A ‘cong’ is a jade cylinder that is square on the outside with a round perforation in the middle. The outside walls are usually divided into sections by horizontal cuts in the four corners. The height of ‘cong’ varies drastically, ranging from 49 cm to a mere 3 cm. Tall ‘cong’ were definitely more difficult to make than short ones.
An ancient Chinese text called ‘Zhouli’ ('Rites of Zhou') states that the ‘cong’ was used as a sacrifice to the Earth. Archaeology has revealed that it served a ritual function in Neolithic times.
An ancient Chinese text called ‘Zhouli’ ('Rites of Zhou') states that the ‘cong’ was used as a sacrifice to the Earth. Archaeology has revealed that it served a ritual function in Neolithic times.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Nephrite jade |
| Brief description | Cylinder (cong) |
| Physical description | Opaque brown. A cong of 17 sections, drilled from both ends, the meeting point in the middle is no more than 3cm in diameter. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Production | Liangzhu culture |
| Summary | A ‘cong’ is a jade cylinder that is square on the outside with a round perforation in the middle. The outside walls are usually divided into sections by horizontal cuts in the four corners. The height of ‘cong’ varies drastically, ranging from 49 cm to a mere 3 cm. Tall ‘cong’ were definitely more difficult to make than short ones. An ancient Chinese text called ‘Zhouli’ ('Rites of Zhou') states that the ‘cong’ was used as a sacrifice to the Earth. Archaeology has revealed that it served a ritual function in Neolithic times. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.40-1936 |
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| Record created | May 9, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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