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 Chinese Hand Carved Hongshan Yubi Culture Ancient Jade Disc

Single piece

Size (size): 49 mm * 49 mm * 12 mm

The Bi is an artifact of jade of the old China. The first Bi were produced in the period Neolithic, particularly by the Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 AC). Late specimens date primarily to dynasties Shang, Zhou and Han.

A Bi is a flat disc with a circular hole in the center (pictured right). The Bi Neolithic have no decorations, while those of late China's periods, such as those of the Zhou dynasty, possess increasingly elaborate carvings on the surface.

Jade, like that on discs bi, has been used throughout Chinese history to indicate an individual with moral quality, and has also served as an important symbol of rank.

The original function and meaning of the Bi are unknown, as Neolithic cultures have no written history. The Bi are sometimes found near the stomach or chest, or under the feet or heads of the deceased in Neolithic tombs. Later traditions associate the Bi with the Sky, and the Cong with earth. Consistently, the Bi are found with images of heaven and earth, suggesting that their circular shape also holds symbolic meaning.

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