Chinese
Bi Disk with Imperial Decoration, Western Han Dynasty, 206 BCE - 12 CE
Not on view
Jade
Dimensions11 11/16 × 11 5/8 × 1/2 in. (29.7 × 29.5 × 1.3 cm)
Gift of Genevieve and Richard Shaw, by exchange, 2010.284
According to Zhou Li, an ancient ritual text, a bi--a term applied to wide disks with perforated centers--may represent heaven, the yang, the positive, and the male principle of the universe. Several tombs from South China have pairs of bi flanking the body, likely acting as protection for the soul of the deceased. The shape of the bi is deceiving in its simplicity. Great skill was required to carve the uniformed punctured circle, as well as incise the designs seen here.
The most impressive disks or bi were made of the finest jades and were placed in prominent positions, often near the stomach and the chest of the deceased. Smaller, more roughly finished disks were aligned with the body, typically above the head and below the feet. The enormous labor involved in carving a hard stone like jade is a striking testimony to the importance of the object and the status of person upon whom the bi was placed.
