JADE HOOF—HAIR ORNAMENT HONGSHAN

7JADE HOOF - HAIR ORNAMENT

HONGSHAN CULTURE 3500 - 2500 BC Height: 5 1/2 inches Width: 4 inches ( 13.8 x 10 cm )

This pale yellowish-green sculpture is worked in the shape of a horse’s hoof. This shape is common in Chinese culture as a sleeve or a scoop. This particular piece is thought to be a hair ornament, the hair being pulled through the tube into a pony tail or a more complex hair design. A similar tube is seen on the top of the head in a royal portrait found in the Palace Museum, Beijing (Childs-Johnson). This tube is finely worked with a slightly ovoid cross section, with thin, translucent walls and a perforation for attachment on either side near the base.