Serpentine Bi Disk Jade Bi

Originally thought to have been given to Emperor Zhu Gong of the Zhou dynasty (1046 - 246 BCE). Recent research has shown the Bi comes from the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1911 CE) and is a product of the Traditionalist artistic movement in China. Most likely made after the conquest of Khotan in 1763 CE, this Bi is inscribed with a commemoration from the Zhou dynasty to the Chu king Chu Zhuang (613 - 591 BCE).

Bi discs were favored by emperors and scholar-officials as decorative objects. The inscription on this bi copied the text cast into a late Western Zhou dynasty (1047-772 BCE) bronze bell. It commemorates the King of Chu’s military campaigns