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Hello,
This piece of jade, is made of 2 segment, in which a script is enclose. The jade is believe authentic and have not been artificially aged.
What was the use of such a jade, knowing that each piece can take a year to do! So the significance should be somewhat major!!

Thanks for any advice...

My understanding of pieces like these, is that they were made for security purposes, such as military or diplomatic emissaries. Two people would each be given one piece of the puzzle.

Western Han

This is a mdoern piece, I believe, and although I am not 100% sure, the lion tally in two halves is a Qin dynasty innovation and made in silver of gold inlaid bronze - I do not know of any nephrite examples. The carving and finish are too modern to suggest an archaic jade or even a Song or early Ming copy. The second flaw in the piece is the idea that the two pieces were carved to be as similar as possible and are not from two halves of the same stone cut in two. This would be the most efficient means of producing and the usual manner in archaeological finds of matching jades.


Anthony M. Lee
Asian Art Research

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