Description
About
Jade Annulus (玉璧 YuBi) is a flat round jade with a circular hole in the centre. It is one of the traditional jade rituals in China, and it is also one of the Six Vessels.
The six vessels are jade Bi, jade Cong, jade Gui, jade Hu, jade Zhang, and jade Huang. The ancient ritual instruments used to worship the heavens and the earth, i.e., use Bi to ritual to the heaven, Cong to the ground, Gui to the east, and amber to the west. Give tribute to the south with Zhang, and greet the north with Huang.
Ritual jade is a Three Dynasties (Xia, Shang, Zhou from 2100BC to 221 BC) jade variety, which is a variation of the original ancient jade. Refers to the jade articles used by ancients in ceremonial occasions such as for sacrificial ceremonies, court meetings, and handovers. It is often abbreviated as “ritual device” or “li jade”(gift jade). According to “Zhou Li”, it mainly refers to Bi, Zong, Gui, Zhang, Hu, Huang Six kinds of jade, with different shapes.
There are carved with four Chinese constellations on the edges of the disc: which are four mythological creatures that guard the world in four directions, which are named ‘Four Symbols’ or ‘Four Mythological Symbols’ (‘Si Xiang’ in Chinese). They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called “Black Warrior”) of the North. 
The 8 fo 64 i-ching hexagram patterns are carved near the circle, which is an ancient Chinese divination text and among the oldest of the Chinese classics. It was transformed into a cosmological text with a series of philosophical commentaries. The hexagrams themselves have often acquired cosmological significance and been paralleled with many other traditional names for the processes of change such as yin and yang and Wu Xing.
The middle of the disc is carved with 12 The twelve Earthly Branches or Terrestrial Branches in Chinese words:子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥, they are a Chinese ordering system used throughout East Asia in various contexts, including its ancient dating system, astrological traditions, zodiac and ordinals.
Country of Origin
Beijing, China
Dimensions for Each Sculpture
Diameter: 30cm
Total height: 40cm
Depth: 10cm
Materials
Marble and Iron
Weight
2.5kg approx
Care Instructions
Clean with a soft cloth.
Delivery Details
You are always welcome to collect the item at our shop free of charge
The item comes with an original box and will be dispatched within 3 working days after the payment has been received if the delivery required
Delivery Cost within mainland UK for this item – £11 incl. insurance
Any enquiries please contact us on info@nookdeco.co.uk
