Figure - Jade deity figure of the Hongshan culture on a gold-plated stand - With certificate - Jade

A rare deity sculpture, made entirely of jade by a member of the Chinese Hongshan culture, which originated in the Neolithic period approximately 4,000 years ago, is presented on a gilded brass holder, which in turn is mounted on a bronze-plated base.

The figure is not rigidly attached to the holder; it can easily be lifted and viewed up close. Only the positioning of the flexible arms of the gilded brass holder allows the sculpture to remain stable on the holder.

The exact meaning of this figure remains obscure, as research into this culture is still in its infancy.

A characteristic of each of these figures is that they are provided with small drilled holes (see photos), created by hand-twisting bamboo sticks until a hollow passageway is created. This time- and labor-intensive practice aimed at shaping the resulting objects so that they could be worn around the neck as pendants or sewn onto clothing.

The figure is not firmly attached to the holder; it can easily be lifted and viewed up close. Only the positioning of the flexible arms of the gilded brass holder allows the sculpture to remain stable on the holder.

The Hongshan culture, in which this piece of jewelry originated, is still shrouded in mystery, as research into this culture is still in its infancy.

Because the very remote Hongshan archaeological site in northeastern China was only discovered and studied relatively recently by Japanese (!) researchers, these finds were long ignored by the Chinese scientific elite, who always assumed that the cradle of Chinese civilization lay elsewhere.

In recent years, however, there has been a tendency to revise this view, and it has been reluctantly admitted that the cradle of Chinese civilization is indeed located in Hongshan (which means "red mountain" in Chinese and is named after the place where it was found).

China's current rulers have announced that the focus of scholarly research into the earliest origins of Chinese civilization will increasingly shift to this area.

Coinciding with this announcement, a series of books and television documentaries are planned for the coming years to bring the Hongshan culture closer to a global audience. Currently, only a few publications with further information are available.

The standard work in this field of research is by the aforementioned Scottish professor David C. Anderson and is entitled "Hongshan Jade Treasures: The Art, Iconography and Authentication of Carvings from China's Finest Neolithic Culture." It is a highly informative and richly illustrated book. However, due to the growing interest in the Hongshan culture, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

For those unable to obtain a specimen, I recommend consulting the English Wikipedia page on the "Hongshan Culture" (also available in many other languages).

Such figures, which have a so-called "provenance" (a history of origin), often sell for high prices at reputable auction houses. Only because the provenance of this specimen is undocumented can it be offered without a starting price and will become the property of the highest bidder.

The exact age of this delicate sculpture is unknown; it simply exhibits all the stylistic characteristics of this ancient, lost civilization.

The total height of the object (including the holder) is 110 mm. The width is 30 mm and the depth is 30 mm. The total weight is 57 g.