Chinese Works of ArtTHREE BEADS WITH PATTERN OF RAISED CURLS
Jade
China, Eastern Zhou, Spring and Autumn, 6th - 5th Century BC

三穀紋玉坠- 東周, 春秋, 公元前6世紀-前5世紀

These three small beads in white jade are decorated with a delicate pattern of spirals in relief, organized in five rows, and an incised line that delimits the border of each end. All three beads present traces of alteration from the burial in the form of chalky white areas on most of the surfaces. Two beads have a cylindrical appearance, while the third one has a more barrel-like look. Small beads like these were commonly used in the Eastern Zhou period as components of pendants: the jades were strung together with metal chains or silk cords that passed through the hole drilled at the centre of the beads.

For similar beads see F. Salviati, 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, Edition Zacke, Vienna 2017, no. 206 and Archaic and Antique Chinese Jades, auction catalogue, Galerie Zacke, September 29, 2017, lot no. 26.

This pendant is published in Filippo Salviati 4000 YEARS OF CHINESE ARCHAIC JADES Edition Zacke, Vienna 2017, no. 206

Provenance: From an old Austrian collection, acquired from R. H. Investment Comp. Ltd. London, between 1996- 1997

LENGTH 3,8 CM 長3,8 厘米