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Published: Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris, 2016, p. 36, no. 28.
Exhibited:
1. Pointe-à-Callière Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Montréal, 17th November 2016-19th March 2017.
2. Kimbell Art Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 4th March-19th August 2018.
Expert’s note: Only a handful of known cong feature this rare three-tiered configuration: one tier of hybrid mask flanked by two deity masks. Among the estimated 200 Liangzhu jade cong in public and private collections worldwide, fewer than six are of this particular design. Notably, most three-tiered examples are squat, with a height less than the diameter of the mouth, and share a close resemblance in both configuration and carving technique. The current cong, however, stands out for the refinement of its incised decoration—especially the cloud-scrolls on the eyelids of the animal mask, a feature rarely executed with such precision.
China, c. 3300-2200 BC. The thick-walled cong with gently rounded sides and a cylindrical interior, carved to each corner with a stylized human and animal mask design. The eyes and noses as well as the raised bands above the masks and recesses in between are finely incised with line and scroll designs. The faces are divided with a gently recessed vertical band to the center of each side. The opaque, calcified stone is of an ivory tone with deep veins of russet, brown, dark gray, and green.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, signs of prolonged burial and traces of weathering, encrustations, extensive calcification, old smoothened chips, few minuscule nicks, the stone with natural fissures, some of which have developed into hairline cracks.
Weight: 706 g
Dimensions: Height 8 cm
The Liangzhu culture and its remarkable jade artifacts came to prominence in the late 1980s, when the discovery of several significant cemeteries brought international attention to the richness of their tomb contents. Since then, a wave of new archaeological findings has dramatically transformed our understanding of this late Neolithic civilization. At the Mojiaoshan site, Chinese archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a vast, walled settlement covering 750 acres. This site, the largest known walled settlement from late Neolithic China, includes palatial foundations, jade workshops, habitation zones, and a sophisticated network of internal waterways.
Distinguished by their quantity, variety, and superb craftsmanship, Liangzhu jades are among the most iconic artifacts in the history of Chinese civilization. Among them, the jade cong stands out as the most emblematic. These objects feature a square exterior surrounding a circular inner hollow, with each corner serving as a vertical axis for the carving of symmetrical mask motifs. Early examples are typically squat and intricately decorated with deities or animal forms. In contrast, later versions are tall and slender, with stylized facial features dominated by prominent eyes and noses.
The present cong is incised with three horizontal tiers featuring twelve ‘crowned divine figure’ motifs. Two parallel lines above each figure signify the crown, while short horizontal ridges, engraved with swirling cloud patterns, depict the nose. The eyes consist of double circles connected by short, intermittent incised lines, with two short extensions on either side to mark the corners of the eyes.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Liangzhu jade cong, formerly in the collection of Charles Lang Freer and now in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1916.118.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Near identical
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2019, lot 2719
Price: HKD 31,325,000 or approx. EUR 3,760,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An extremely rare three-tiered jade Cong, Liangzhu culture, circa 3300-2300 BC
Expert remark: Compare the form, manner of carving, incision work, motifs, calcified stone, and size (7.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2024, lot 1012
Price: HKD 4,788,000 or approx. EUR 530,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare three-tiered jade cong, Liangzhu culture, circa 3100-2000 BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and stone. Note the size (5.5 cm).
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