JADE BI WITH ANIMAL MASK DECORATIONS HAN

27 JADE BI WITH ANIMAL MASK DECORATIONS

HAN DYNASTY 206 BC - 220 AD Diameter: 9 inches ( 22.7 cm )

This dark green jade Bi disk is beautifully carved with five distinct rings. The outer ring is perfectly plain. The next ring is filled with four sets of evenly spaced twin-bodied carved and engraved animal mask motifs. The next ring is filled with the twisted thread pattern engraved all around. The next and largest ring is filled with concentric circles of flat-topped hexagonal carvings in relief. The final, inner ring is again perfectly plain. It is thought that jade Bi disks of this type may have served as ritual objects for imperial sacrifice to the sun.