AN ELEGANT NEOLITHIC BRACELET IN DARK GREEN JADE WITH A SMOOTH CONCAVE BORDER
AN ELEGANT NEOLITHIC BRACELET IN DARK GREEN JADE WITH A SMOOTH CONCAVE BORDER
Jade
China, Late Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, c. 3300-2200 BC
The stunning impact of this roughly hewn bracelet, a form attested amongst the jades of the Liangzhu culture, is due to the simplicity of its design and the extremely dark color. The thick flat edges contrast with the wide concave border, and the dark green, almost blackish color of the stone, due to the high content of iron, is crossed by numerous patches and veins of white. The very few areas of the originally light green translucent jade can only be seen when the object is held to the light. The jade is smoothly polished, though not to a high luster, and irregularities can be felt more on the outer side of the bracelet where the tool marks can be discerned. The border also presents uneven thicknesses, a clear sign of manual workmanship.
Dimensions: DIAMETER 8 CM, WIDTH 2 CM, THICKNESS
Condition: Undamaged
Provenance: French private collection
Comparative auction results: Compare a bracelet of similar shape and diameter in mottled ivory and grey jade from the A. W. Bahr (1877-1959) collection and another slightly smaller one in russet-coloured jade from the Robert H. Ellsworth (1929-2014) collection: both sold at Christie’s New York on 16 September 2010, sale 2509, lot 954 and 19 March 2015, sale 11420, lot 499, respectively. A further similar bracelet was sold at Galerie Zacke on 2 December 2017, cat. no.12.