X-RARE Ancient Chinese Jade Snake & Ancestor Talisman/Amulet w/Translation

Description

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collect
i
bles
Neolithic Chinese Black Jade Snake Amulet
Death Occurred from a Snake Bit 4,000 Years Ago!
c.
Hongshan Culture
4500 BC--2250 BC
English Translation of Chinese Characters!
SUMMARY
For the advanced collector or museum, this
VERY RARE
, inscribed, Neolithic Chinese Snake Amulet is made of pure, ancient, Black Nephrite Jade that weighs about 1.0 oz. (28 grams) and measures approximately 3.23” (82 mm) tall x 1.25” (32 mm) wide x .38” (8 mm) thick.
It was made during the Hongshan Culture of ancient China about 4,000 years ago!
I Guarantee it to be authentic and original!
It will appraise as such by any ancient Chinese expert collector or museum curator.
The shape of the front of the black jade amulet is that of the head and hood of a Chinese Cobra snake with its flared hood depicted in an attack pose ready to strike.
This memorial amulet strongly suggests the cause of death for the person being honored was that of a poisonous snake bite from the Chinese cobra.
There are two, large images represented on the front of the amulet—see photos.
·
The top one
represents the presence of the Ancestor, who is looking with benevolence with two slit eyes,
protruding ears, and a triangle, which is the character “Chi” and the abstract Chinese symbol for “sight.” {ref. pg. 45} The ancestor looks
with benevolence at the offerings being presented by the son on behalf of his deceases father who, it appears, died from a snake bite.
·
The bottom head is that of a poisonous snake (ancient Chinese “
T’o
”) that stands on its tail, flares its neck into a hood, and then strikes its victim with a poisonous bite!
The Chinese cobra, also called Taiwan cobra, is a species of highly venomous cobra in the family
Elapidae
, found mostly in southern China and a couple of neighboring nations and islands.
It is one of the most prevalent venomous snakes in mainland China and Taiwan, which has caused many snakebite incidents to humans that usually resulted in death to its victims in ancient China that did not have the use of anti-venom injections to counter the deadly poison.
Just below the head of the snake, the large ancient Chinese character “
Chu
” is cut into the amulet—see photo # 4.
Chu
has several meanings, including: fear, apprehension, and fearful. {Weiger, pg. 324}
Cut and inscribed on the reverse side of the is amulet is the large character “
Tsai
” that means “a misfortune or calamity.”
{see photo # 5}
This character symbolizes an offering made to the ancestors on behalf of the misfortune of the unexpected death of the father, which likely occurred from the poisonous snake bite of the Chinese Cobra.
There are over 50 very small (some < 1 mm tall) ancient Chinese pictographic characters incised or percussive (pecked into) on all sides of this amulet that tell us more details about this offering to the Ancestors!
See below for Details.
SNAKES in Ancient China {ref: Wikipedia}
The usual and general Chinese word and character for Snake is Chinese:
蛇
; pinyin:
shé
; literally: "Snake or Snakes." As a zodiacal sign, the Snake is associated with Chinese:
巳
; pinyin:
sì,
a proper noun referring to the 6
th
of the 12 Earthly Branches, or to the double-hour of 9-00-11:00 AM.
The specific Chinese name for the Chinese Cobra is
眼鏡蛇
(
yan-jing-she
) that means "Spectacled Snake," referring to the markings on the back of its flared hood that resemble eyeglasses.
The Latin Family name is
Elapidae
, while the species name “
Naja Atra
” comes from:
Naja
(an old Indian word “
naga
”, meaning "snake" and “
atra
” after the snake's color - the Latin term
ater
means "dark" or "black."
Snakes (also known as serpents) are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths, legends, and folk tales about snakes. Chinese mythology refers to these and other myths found in the historical geographic area(s) of China. These myths include Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China).
Snakes often appear in myth, religion, legend, or tales as fantastic beings unlike any possible real snake, often having a mix of snake with other body parts, such as having a human head, or magical abilities, such as shape shifting. One famous snake that was able to transform back and forth between a snake and a human being was Madam White Snake in the Legend of the White Snake. Other snakes or snakelike beings sometimes include deities, such as Fuxi and Nüwa and Gong Gong. Sometimes Fuxi and Nuwa are described as snakes with human heads and sometimes as humans with dragon or serpent tails...
On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar (May 5
th
) is the festival of the Double Fifth (
Duanwu
). Many of the activities traditional on this holiday involve expelling various sources of potential evil influences. One of these involves driving away the Five Noxious Creatures (
wu du
), of which the Snake is one.
DETAILS:
It is a very early example and is one of the few examples that has over 50 engraved Chinese characters (pictographs) in low relief.
It has a wonderful, natural, ancient patina!
The amulet has three, suspension holes on the top end of the amulet hat are classified as "double-bevel holes" by anthropologists (see photos).  These holes were made so a person could attach the pendant around his/her neck or to their waist.  Each of the holes is round and was drilled by hand with a slow-speed drill.  They are period correct and show the growth of tiny
micro-crystals of jade
inside the bore holes that can only happen after a piece of carved jade has been buried for thousands of years.  These tiny crystals almost look like white powder and should never be cleaned off or removed.
{REF: "
JADE
" by Roger Keverne, pg. 57. This is an excellent reference book that can be found on eBay.}
On this incredible amulet, two of the suspension holes also represent the two ears and the presence of an Ancestor, who is watching with benevolence at the offerings presented by the sons in memory of their departed father.
There are incised inscriptions located around the ears.
Although it is difficult to see, the graphic of the “right hand” or “
Yu
” in ancient Chinese is inscribed directly under the eye depicted on the right.
This represents of offering made to the ancestors on behalf of the deceased father.
There are also approximately 20 very tiny character inscribed on flat top of the amulet, which include ancestors and the offering of sacrifices to the ancestors.
In ancient China, this jade amulet would have been placed in the tomb or temple of the departed by his family, along with an offering of wine and meat.
This offering would also help to protect him or her from evil spirits on his journey to the afterlife and to allow him/her to enter Heaven (
Ti’en
).  It would also show the ancestors and spirits that he was a wealthy and honorable person and that he had Mandarins that could speak to the Heavens for him.
TRANSLATION
This lovely amulet contains over 50 ancient, Chinese pictographic characters that have been incorporated into the design of this amulet and incised or pecked with percussive blows on the surface of the amulet.
These pictographic figures or “graphics” are the earliest Chinese written language.
As mentioned above, j
ust below the head of the snake, the large (23 mm) ancient Chinese character “
Chu
” is cut into the amulet.
Chu
has several meanings, including: fear, apprehension, and fearful. {Ref. Wieger, pg. 324}
This character reinforces the supposition that the death of this person resulted from a deadly, venomous snake bite.
Cut and inscribed on the reverse side of the is amulet is the large (19 mm) character “
Tsai
” that means “a misfortune or calamity.”
{ref. Wieger pg. 41}
This character symbolizes an offering made to the ancestors on behalf of the misfortune of the unexpected death of the father, which likely occurred from the poisonous snake bite of the Chinese Cobra.
There are over 50 very small characters inscribed or pecked on all surfaces of this amazing snake amulet.
They are in very shallow relief (some only 1 mm tall) and the natural weathering of the jade and the growth of white, micro-crystals of jade from its burial in the earth for about 4,000-years makes it difficult to translate the characters.
I can read and provide a translation for the following characters:
·
The character of two, horizontal lines, which is actually the ancient Chinese character for the word "
Erh
" that in ancient Chinese
Ku'wen
(large seal script) means "
Earth
."  This character represents the power of jade and of the dragon to transport the soul of the departed safely from Earth to the Ancestors in Heaven and to eternal life.
·
The characters for man, dragons, mythical beasts, and ancestors.
Please see 50x macro image I took of one ancestor that is only about 1 mm tall!
He has a round circle for a head and his arms outstretched.
{see photo # 11}
·
The son offering to this father and ancestors is shown in an ethereal shape, which is his being raptured and transported mentally in the presence of his Ancestors, by his filial love and desire to please them.
·
Younger grandsons (that are drawn like frogs and to young to stand upright) are depicted crawling between the legs of their father.
Adding two parallel line “=” to these figures does not mean two grandchildren, but is instead meant to mean “all of them” or “as many as there are.”
·
Older grandsons are figured beneath the son holding up their hands in prayer.
·
And 50+ other pictographs/characters that are too small for me to decipher.
Jade was highly prized by these early civilizations in China and it was thought to have positive energy to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck and fortune to all who wore a piece on their person--in life and in death. Jade was also believed to be a portal or messenger that could carry prayers to Heaven and send messages to those on Earth from departed ancestors and Gods in Heaven.
This ancient Snake Amulet is a fine work of art and it is truly a museum quality piece of great historical significance.  Its beauty and attention to detail is remarkable!
PRICE & VALUE
This X-RARE Jade Snake Amulet has an auction appraisal of 0,000 to 0,000 USD!!
On November 29, 2017, one of the best known international auction houses sold in Hong Kong 87 Chinese Archaic Jades that totaled US million, which was seven times the low pre-auction estimate.
And none of the archaic jades had the extensive inscribed characters on them or the Snake motif.
I have carefully examined this ancient jade amulet and I GUARANTEE it to be 100% original and authentic or your money back! I’ve looked under 50x magnification under both natural and Black Light and I can find no signs of any modern tool work or repairs. The hand tool marks left in the jade by the master stone artist who carved, shaped, and incised this work of art appear to be consistent with those marks of other ancient jades I have examined.
Each object I sell is professionally researched, translated (if I can...(smile), and compared with similar objects in the collections of the finest museums in the world. I have been dealing in fine antiquities for over 45 years and although certainly not an expert in every field, I have been honored to appraise, buy, collect, and enjoy and recently sell some of the finest ancient art in the world. When in doubt, I have worked with dozens of subject matter experts to determine the condition and authenticity of numerous antiquities and antiques. This careful examination helps to insure you are buying quality items and helps to protect your investment. There are many modern reproductions or "fakes" on the market today, so be sure and buy only from experts in the field.
Note: For reference on how to purchase authentic archaic jade, may I refer you to an excellent book published in 2009 by Stephen Payne called "
How to Purchase Archaic Jade
." He shows in great detail how the experts determine the age and date of ancient Chinese Jade. This book is well worth the price if you are just starting your collection or if you are a seasoned expert and can be purchased on eBay.
Please examine the photos taken at 4x and 50x macro carefully as they are part of the description.
The stand and AA battery are not part of the auction, just included to give you a better perspective.
And please ask any questions before you buy.
Thank You!
I GUARANTEE this statue is ancient and authentic or your money back!
Note:
Please ask any questions you may have before you bid!
Thanks for Looking!
Per e-Bay's rules, PayPal only please!
THANKS!
FREE SHIPPING for USA includes INSURANCE for all 50 United States.
REFERENCES
Museum of Chinese History, Beijing
The Ancestral Landscape
, David N. Knightley, 2000
The Great Bronze Age of China
, edited by Wen Fong, MET, 1980
Changhua Annals of the Republic of China
(1911–1949)
British Museum,
Jessica Rawson
Smithsonian Museum, Sackler & Freer Gallery, WDC
MET, NYC, New York
Chinese Characters
, Dr. L. Wieger, S.J.
"
JADE
" by Roger Keverne
International Buyers may have additional import duties or taxes that are the responsibility of the Buyer.