20. Han Dynasty Jade Bi with low relief carving, D. 41.3cms, T. 0.9cm

本器和田青玉雕琢, 形制為玉璧. 璧分三層, 均為淺浮雕紋飾. 外層為遠古傳說圖, 計有伏羲女媧交合圖, 女媧補天圖, 仰天長嘯圖, 馴馬圖, 駕馭馬車圖, 補白處飾龍鳳紋. 中間層飾武士比武圖, 兩武士比劍, 一武士騎馬射箭, 一武士為大力士. 比劍的兩武士中, 一人顯然屈居下風, 伸出食指, 面向後仰呈痛苦狀. 騎馬的武士則徉裝後退, 回首射出泠箭, 大力士手持重型兵器, 有萬夫莫敵之勢, 最內層蟠龍. 本器構圖涵蓋耐人尋味的傳說, 各紋飾的呈現表情傳神. 本器差異風化,  溶蝕孔, 石灰沁等古玉跡象明顯, 是漢代玉璧精品. (來源:  家族百年收藏)

The object is carved with Hetian green-tone jade, in the shape of a jade bi. The bi is divided into three sections, all of which are low-relief decorations. The outer section is a scene of ancient legends, including Fuxi and Nuwa’s intercourse, Nuwa mending the sky, and a scene of a knight riding a carriage, with dragon and phoenix patterns on the padding. The middle section is decorated with a scene of a warrior contest, which shows four warriors, two competing with swords, one archery on horseback, and one man of unusual strength. One of the two swordsmen was obviously inferior, facing backward in pain. The warrior on horseback stepped back and turned his head to shoot arrows. The strong man held a heavy weapon. The filling space is decorated with dragon patterns and auspicious cloud patterns. The inner section is a low relief carving crawling dragon. The appearance of each pattern is delicate and vivid. This bi has obvious signs of differential weathering, dissolved pits, and calcification. It is a fine jade bi of the Han Dynasty.