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Among Neolithic jades, the cong displays the most complex form: a cylindrical tube encased in a square prism that gently tapers from top to bottom. Simple masks with circular eyes and bar-shaped mouths decorate the corners. Enigmatic in function and meaning, the cong probably signified wealth and social status.
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新石器時代良渚文化 玉琮
Title: Ritual object (cong)
Period: Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture (ca. 3200–2000 BCE)
Date: ca. 2400 BCE
Culture: China
Medium: Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions: H. 10 in. (25.4 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
Classification: Jade
Credit Line: Purchase, Sir Joseph Hotung Gift, 2004
Object Number: 2004.52
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