Person
Tori ZiegerNotes
This item is a Chinese bi disc made out of jade with engraved lettering and geometric designs. Bi discs date all the way back to the Liangzhu culture, a Neolithic culture that existed in China between the years 3300 BCE-2250 BCE. While jade discs are prevalent throughout Chinese history, the term "bi" refers to discs that have a relatively small central hole compared to the rest of the disc. These discs are religious items, traditionally adorned with imagery that represents the heaves and cosmos. Archaeologists readily find bi discs in burials, and while they are attributed to religious/ceremonial function, it is not known exactly what the use of the jade discs were or what they meant. This disc is a little abnormal - the vast majority of bi discs do not feature text.