AN UNUSUAL YELLOW AND BROWN JADE CICADA-FORM APPLIQUE

Details

AN UNUSUAL YELLOW AND BROWN JADE CICADA-FORM APPLIQUE
EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

The flat plaque finely carved in shallow, rounded relief and incised with a partial taotie mask at either end and scrolled motifs in between, the reverse carved with a series of concentric, oval grooves spreading out to the edges, pierced with three holes for attachment, the semi-translucent stone of pale yellow color with areas of dark brown color at the edges and some slight buff alteration, traces of cinnabar and earth encrustation, recut in antiquity--2¼in. (5.7cm.) long

Provenance

A.W. Bahr Collection, Weybridge

Lot Essay

This flat plaque is finely worked in shallow, rounded relief with eyes and a filler ornament of curling scrolls. The reverse is defined by typical cicada body motifs abstracted as concentric oval grooves that spread to the edges. Three holes were for attachment to, probably, hemp or silk material and possibly in the form of a head mask, as was common in Western through Eastern Zhou tombs, see the reconstructed head veil from Zhongzhoulu in S. H. Hansford, Chinese Carved Jades, London, 1968, figs. 26-7

Cicadas are frequently used to plug the mouth orifice of corpses. Since the present example is perforated, it was most likely not used as a plug but rather was placed in the position of the mouth of some multiple-jade-piece head mask