Human head, originally part of a set. China, Beginning of the Spring and Autumn period, circa 771 B.C.

Human head, originally part of a set. China, Beginning of the Spring and Autumn period, circa 771 BC.
Green/brown jade.
Provenance: Throckmorton Gallery, New York.
Certificate of authenticity attached.
Measurements: 6 x 4 x 4 cm.

This singular piece represents a human head carved in jade, outstanding for the sophistication of its execution in a material of extreme hardness and for the expressiveness of its modeling. The work dates from the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period (8th century BC), a time of political and aesthetic transition following the collapse of the Western Zhou dynasty and the shift of the capital to Luoyi (present-day Luoyang), marking the emergence of more individualized and refined cultural forms in the ritual sphere.

The face, although schematic, presents defined, chiseled anthropomorphic features: almond-shaped eyes with curved tear trough, flat nose, and wide mouth. The volume is crowned by an arabesque headdress, whose openwork probably alludes to a sacred hierarchy or to the ritual distinction of the individual represented. Because of its scale and shape, it is likely that this head was part of a seated figure or even a ceremonial stele or staff.

Jade carving during this stage required rudimentary tools -abrasive stones, rope with sand as a saw- which gives special technical value to the piece. The green-brown nephrite, highly polished, presents a superficial patina that testifies both its antiquity and its probable funerary or votive function, given the protective and transcendent role of jade in Chinese culture since the Neolithic.