Of cylindrical square-sectioned form, carved on all four sides of the exterior with three registers of stylised masks featuring prominent eyes, the stone of an even pale yellowish-green tone with buff-coloured inclusions.
8cm (3in) high
FOOTNOTES
- 清 青玉琮
The present lot is a good example of the Qing dynasty version of an archaic jade cong. The Qing dynasty craftsmen have drawn inspiration from its original archaic jade counterpart dating back to the Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture. The function of a cong is still unknown and a heavily debated topic. At present it is impossible to assess the significance of the cong, as the topic is still being subjected to a large number of interpretations. See published examples of cong illustrated and discussed by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade. From the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pp.122-129, nos.3:1-3:7.
玉琮青綠帶黃，局部有黃白沁斑，琢作一內圓外方、上大下小的筒形，琮體四角渾圓，每面器壁中央一道寬直槽，以四角為中心，分三節，每節刻簡化人面紋，造型仿古。
參照更多玉琮例子，見J.Rawson著，《Chinese Jade. From the Neolithic to the Qing》，倫敦，1995年，頁122-129，編號3:1-3:7。
