A rare and very large jade Bi disc

Description:

China, late Warring states/early Han dyna-sty, c. 3rd-1st ct. BC
D. 29,9 cm
Decorated with three bands of ornamentation: the inner and outer bands featuring bovine heads in low relief with long, sinuous horns, and the central band with small faceted bosses created by regularly intersecting lines; the three bands are separated by two narrow striated bands; dark grey polished jade with large cloudy, whitish-grey patches.
From a German private collection, according to the present owner in the family since around 1920, published in Nagel Auktionen, Auction 31A, 17 May 2005, Lot 815 - Small hairline crack in the stone, partially cream-beige corroded - cf. Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London 1995, nos. 15:4 + 15:5d (very similar in form, color, and decoration, especially no. 15:5, but smaller, both dated 3rd-2nd century BC); Zhou, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware (I), Hong Kong 1995, no. 126 (similar and smaller); Salviati, Radiant Stones - Archaic Chinese Jades, Paris 2000, no. 120 (very similar and smaller).