RITUAL DISK, BI

Ritual disc made of amber and mounted on wood. Because of its shape it is known as BI, and it reproduces one of the first ritual typologies made in jade in the Xia and Shang dynasties. Its specific use in the funerary ritual of the first kings of China has several interpretations associated with both the cult of heaven, due to its circular shape, and its quality as an emblem or sign of rank. During the first dynasties it is made exclusively in nephrite (jade), enhancing its physical qualities such as brightness, sonority, colorful veins, all associated with the idea of physical and spiritual immortality. From the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-280 A.D.) onwards, these pieces frequently appear in funerary trousseaus as signs of luxury and power, enriched with a variegated decoration on their surface that hides the initial aesthetic values and potential of the material. Throughout the history of art in China, interpretations of these archaic pieces continued to be made, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, both in jade and jadeite or other stones of similar morphology. I.C.F. / Extracted from: Isabel CERVERA FERNÁNDEZ: Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta. Asian Art Collection. Granada, 2002.