Chinese Jade and Stone

Pei ( Pi ) - ( Bi ) - Perforated Disks

Perforated Disk with Bat

Medieval period - circa 11th century AD

collected in 1971

SOLD

dimensions: 2 1/8" diameter x 1/2" thick

Very good condition.  Dark lines on bat visible in photo is dirt lodged in the lines of the carving, probably from burial, and can be easily cleaned if desired.

Hardwood stand included.

White and cream jade perforated disk with bat design. Jade has a nice translucence with a cloud-like matrix.  Opposite side of disk is flat, and repeats the linear circle and square design visible on the front. 

 Perforated disks have been a recurring form in Chinese art for more than 4000 years, and are typically though to represent the heavens, perhaps the totality of heaven and earth.  As late as the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220), jade disks performed a ritual function in aristocratic burials, where they were placed above the head, below the feet, and on the chest of the deceased, and may have been meant to help guide the deceased into heaven. The word "fu" in Mandarin means both "bat" and "happiness", and the bat is considered symbolic of happiness in Chinese iconography.  

for inquiries email info@galwest.com