SONG-MING DYNASTY (AD 960-1644)

Turtle and tortoise shells, in particular the plastron, or the flat underside, have been used in China for pyromancy – a form of divination – from the earliest times, and jade models of both types of shells have been found from Neolithic sites from a range of cultures. See, for example, the jade model of a soft-shelled turtle shell from the Langjiatan culture, circa 3000 BC, unearthed in Hanshan, Anhui province, and now in the Palace Museum, BC, illustrated by Gu Fang (ed.) in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 6, Beijing, 2005, p. 2. See, also, the jade tortoise-shell ornament dated to the Tang dynasty illustrated in Jade Wares Collection by Tianjin Museum, Beijing, 2012, p. 61, no. 44. Jade carvings of turtle shells from the post archaic period are rare, and the current carving is notable for its delicate naturalism, superb workmanship, and its fine, satiny polish.