Hongshan Nephrite Jade Amulet

Hongshan Culture, c. 4000-3000 BC, China

A fascinating Hongshan Culture funerary amulet, dating to 4700-2900 BC, exquisitely hand-carved from mottled dark green nephrite jade with cream and russet striations. This tubular amulet, shaped possibly in the form of a cicada cocoon with slanted ends, reflects the Hongshan people’s mastery of jade carving and their deep spiritual connection to this revered stone.

Crafted through an intricate process using awls, drills, and fine abrasives, the amulet features an incredibly smooth, polished surface, creating a pleasing tactile sensation. The jade’s natural hardness and durability made it highly valued, not only for its aesthetic purity but also for its symbolic significance—a material believed to protect the soul on its journey to the afterlife.

The artistry of Neolithic jade spanned across regions from the Yangtze River mouth (Liangzhu Culture) to Southeastern Mongolia, with each culture refining techniques of friction, abrasion, and polishing to achieve near-perfect geometrical forms. Jade was regarded as a sacred stone, embodying spiritual strength, purity, and immortality. Later cultures continued to venerate jade for its protective and transcendental properties, believing it ensured a safe passage to the realm of the ancestors and immortals.

This Hongshan jade amulet, with its harmonious form and exquisite craftsmanship, serves as a testament to one of the earliest jade-working traditions in China, bridging art, ritual, and spiritual beliefs in a civilization over 6,000 years old.

Good condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, with fading to some finer features, and light encrustations within recessed areas. Size approx. 6,0cm x 2,0cm x 2,0cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection.