Artwork Page for Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

Details / Information for Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

牛首玉人

c. 4700–2920 BCE

Northeast China, Neolithic period, probably Hongshan culture

(4700–2920 BCE)
Medium
jade (nephrite)
Measurements
14.6 x 6 x 4.1 cm (5 3/4 x 2 3/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Severance A. Millikin 1953.628
Public Domain
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Location
241A Arts of Ancient China
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Did You Know?

CMA daringly acquired this masterpiece without knowing exactly what it was. Only after Chinese archaeologists started excavating similar jades in Northeast China could it be attributed to the Hongshan culture.

Description

With a bovine head and four horns, this seated figurine was a powerful ritual and shamanic symbol. Drill holes above its shoulders form two interconnected perforations for suspension, suggesting that the jade was originally used as a pendant, presumably by the shaman performing the tasks of journeying to and communicating with the supernatural realms.
A small jade amulet depicts a seated figure with a cowlike head. The figure has four horns and its hands are resting on its knees. The amulet is mostly light green with shades of light tan and is partially covered in large spots of black.

Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

c. 4700–2920 BCE

Northeast China, Neolithic period, probably Hongshan culture (4700–2920 BCE)

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