Chinese Ancient Jade Carvings
Bi and cong are both objects of art
fashioned out of jade in ancient times. As symbols
of good luck and the blue sky, they were used by aristocrats
as ritual objects when attending audiences with the
emperor, religious functions and funerals. Most often found in the tombs
of the Shang, Zhou and Han dynasties, they also were used as jewelry.
Bi is a round flat piece of jade with a round hole in the middle. In
1936, 24 pieces of bi and 33 pieces of cong were unearthed from Tomb
No.3 at Liangzhu Town of Yuhang, Zhejiang Province.
Cong is a rectangular piece of jade with a round hollow to accentuate
the ancient Chinese theory that heaven is round and
earth square. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, cong was a fashionable
talisman of good luck which served as a ritual object for worshipping
heaven and earth. When it was used as a burial object, it was placed
on the deceased's head and feet or round it.
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