Ming Dynasty Jade Bi, H.16cm, W.12cm

Carved with white jade, the object has a form similar to the typical Han Dynasty jade bi. The jade bi has two layers with the outer layer decorated with low relief tiger and tortoise.  The inner layer decorated with crop sprout. The outside extended portion decorated dragon and phoenix. Between the extension portion and the edge of the main portion of bi, the is a Chinese character of 子 (offspring). The typical Han bi should have the full scripts of 宜子孫( Good for the offspring). The current bi only has one character, thus believed to be a Ming Dynasty bi copied the style of the Han Dynasty.

明代仿漢玉璧，高16公分，寬12公分

本器白玉雕琢，玉璧分兩層，內層飾榖紋， 外層飾白虎及玄武， 出廓部分飾青龍及朱雀，出廓部分與璧之間飾” 子” 字，本器古玉跡象有增生晶體， 溶蝕孔及鈣化， 典型的漢代玉璧應該是飾宜子孫三字，本器僅飾子字， 應該是仿漢之跡象。