Rubbing of Ritual Disc with Dragon Motifs (Bi)
CultureChinese
Date19th-early 20th century
MediumHanging scroll; ink rubbing on paper
DimensionsOverall: 14 5/16 inches (36.35 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Laurence Sickman
Object numberF88-45/110
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionJade dates to the Eastern Zhou dynasty (771–256 B.C.E.); rubbing created about 19th-early 20th centuryExhibition HistoryThe Art of Ink Rubbings: Impressions of Chinese Culture, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, July 20, 2024–February 2, 2025, no cat.
One of the finest jade carvings ever made, the Ritual Disc was reportedly uncovered from royal tombs at Luoyang in the early 1900s. After its restoration in Beijing, rubbings were produced to preserve the image.
Laurence Sickman (1907–1988) acquired this jade disc for the museum in 1933. Meanwhile, he owned the rubbing scroll, as seen from his two personal seals on the mount. The scroll communicates the cultural significance of both objects. A red seal on the lower left of the image reads as bi de, which refers to a proverb “a gentleman finds the likeness of his excellencies in jade” from Confucius Analects.
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