Until 1st May, 2026
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A RARE AND LARGE NEOLITHIC SERPENTINE ‘MASK’ BEAD, LIANGZHU CULTURE
Lot 125 - HS1225
Expert’s note: Liangzhu culture predominantly made burial object were from jades, mostly nephrite (ruanyu), with a very few non-nephrite pieces (such as serpentine, shewenshi) excavated form smaller burial sites and common cemeteries.
China, c. 3300-2200 BC. Of elongated barrel form, tapering slightly toward both end, finely carved with a prominently godhead (taotie) mask located at the center of the front side. The opaque stone of a superb reddish-brown tone with creamy veining. Drilled from both sides with a central perforation.
Provenance: From the collection of Szervei Nagy Laszlo, acquired in the 1990s in Vienna. An Austrian private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of a provenance statement written and signed by Szervei Nagy Laszlo, dated 18 November 2024, and confirming the above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few microscopic nicks. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.
Weight: 165 g
Dimensions: Height 8.6 cm
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 21 March 2022, lot 237
Price: USD 62,812 or approx. EUR 62,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Liangzhu jade bead ornament with carved masks, Neolithic period
Expert remark: Compare the related decoration, and dating. Note the different material and size (2.8 cm)
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