Bi and Cong Ancient Jade Carvings 5/28/2008 2:44:52 PM
Bi and cong are both objects of art fashioned out of jade in ancient times. As symbols of good luck and the blue sky, they were used by aristocrats as ritual objects when attending audiences with the emperor, religious functions and funerals. Most often found in the tombs of the Shang, Zhou and Han dynasties, they also were used as jewellery.
Bi is a round flat piece of jade with a round hole in the middle. In 1936, 24 pieces of bi and 33 pieces of cong were unearthed from Tomb No.3 at Liangzhu Town of yuhuang, Zhejiang Province.
Cong is a rectangular piece of jade with a round hollow to accentuate the ancient Chinese theory that heaven is round and earth square. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, cong was a fashionable talisman of good luck which served as a ritual object for worshipping heaven and earth. When it was used as a burial object, it was placed on the deceased's head and feet or around it.
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