CHINA ARQUEOLOGIA golden-age-chinese-archayeolog

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impressive of the Niuheliang tombs, Tomb 21 has
yielded the richest complement of jades of any
Hongshan tomb excavated thus far. The tomb had
never been disturbed, a fact that permitted archaeologists
to map the original positions of its jades
and to obtain a better understanding of their possible
use and functions. The jades include ten
square-and-round-cornered hi disks, two double bishaped
disks, one hollow cyclindrical object, and a
cloudlike pendant, as well as a jade turtle carapace
and a jade animal mask. 1 The latter two — elaborate
and unique items — are included in this exhibition.
The turtle carapace was placed on the left side
of the chest of the deceased. Unlike other jade turtles
of the Hongshan culture (fig. i), this example is
painstakingly carved to represent the carapace itself.
Holes and tenons on the bottom of the jade suggest
that it was originally combined with other materials
or objects. The tradition of making images of turtles,
or of using the actual shell for specific ritual or
decorative purposes, has a long history in China.
Recent archaeological discoveries at Jiahu, Wuyang,
Henan province have revealed that as early as 6000
BCE turtle plastrons were incised with marks. 2 The
two large central graves at Hutougou and Niuheliang
yielded additional turtle- or tortoise-shaped
jades of the Hongshan culture. 3 At Niuheliang, two
larger jade turtles were placed in the hands of the
deceased. Other prehistoric cultures also produced
turtle-shaped jades, such as the one discovered at
Lingjiatan, Hanshan, Anhui province. 4 During the
Shang period, turtle shells were frequently employed
for divinatory purposes (see cat. 56), while turtles
were common subjects for sculptors, who rendered
lifelike, detailed versions in hardstone (cat. 54). Even
so, few examples survive of jade turtle carapaces,
although the tradition endured for several thousand
years over successive generations; one late but almost
identical example was recovered from a Western
Zhou tomb at Beizhao, Quwo, Shanxi province
(fig. 2).=
The turtle in China is an auspicious symbol,
associated with longevity, but whether this associations
extends back in time to the Hongshan people
remains an open question. In any case, the secular
and sacred associations of the turtle motif and of
the carapace itself—a tradition that has continued
for 8,000 years — indicate the lasting importance
of the image.
The jade animal mask (cat. 13) is a plaquelike
abstraction of an animal head. The two eyes and the
nostrils are hollowed in the round. The two symmetrical
small perforations in the animal's jowls,
with traces of wear on the bottom edges of the
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