A PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE DISC, BINeolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture, incisions possibly Song DynastyThe disc drilled with a small central hole from both sides, incised on the surface with archaistictaotie masks on aleiwen ground, the mottled stone of a brownish tone with areas of russet inclusions and calcification.17.6cm (6 7/8in) diam.Provenance: 新石器時代 良渚文化 青玉璧陰刻部分或為宋There is evidence that stone discs existed as early as the fifth millenium BC in eastern China, and related rectangular discs with rounded corners were used by people of the Hongshan culture to place on the bodies of the dead. Larger discs appear to be an innovation of the Liangzhu culture (circa 3300-2250 BC): see J.Rawson,Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pp.131-132, where the author also suggests that the quality of the jade was matched to the function of the piece, with higher quality pieces probably reserved for placement on the stomach and chest of the body, a practice that was noted by excavators at the Sidun site in Wujin, Jiangsu Province. See examples of jadebi discs illustratedibid., nos.4:1 to 4:6; other examples ofbi discs of related size and apparently with similar carving techniques of the central hole, one with a later inscription by the Qianlong Emperor, are illustrated in theCompendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 1: Neolithic Age, Beijing, 2011, nos.40-43.據考古發現，約公元前五千年新石器時代於中國北部已有玉璧，最早發現的是在紅山文化，用以陪葬斂屍。尺寸較大的玉璧開始出現於良渚文化，而根據江蘇武進寺墩遺址的考古學者發現，質量較好的玉石一般可能會用於身體的腹部及胸部，參見J.Rawson，Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Qing，倫敦，1995年，頁131-132。對比其他玉璧例子，見同上，編號4:1至4:6。再參考北京故宮藏幾件玉璧，其中一件後加乾隆題款，錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編1》，北京，2011年，編號40至43。