AN ARCHAIC PLAIN JADE CONG, LATE SHANG TO EARLY... Lot n° 142

AN ARCHAIC PLAIN JADE CONG, LATE SHANG TO EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY China, 12th-10th century BC. Finely carved and superbly polished, the cong with plain, gently curved sides and short circular collars to the top and bottom. The opaque stone of a pale green tone with creamy inclusions, brown striations, and areas of calcification. Provenance: From a private collection in Paris, France. Condition: Good condition with old wear, distinct signs of weathering and erosion, tiny nicks and nibbles, and small chips which have smoothened over time. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 418.5 g Dimensions: Length 8.1 cm Literature comparison: Compare a related jade cong of similar color, 7 cm diameter, dated 2nd-1st millennium BC, in the Asian Civilisations Museum, accession number 2015-00391. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 March 2023, lot 23 Price: USD 8,925 or approx. EUR 8,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaic plain jade cong, Late Shang - Early Western Zhou dynasty, 12th-10th century B.C. Expert remark: Compare the closely related form with similarly curved sides which have been left plain. Note the color of the jade and the related size (7.5 cm).