J.J. Lally & Co., Oriental Art / New York City, New York

Smaller segmented jade bi made in three segments with holes drilled at the inner edges to allow the segments to be tied together have been found occasionally in Neolithic tombs and appear more frequently in Shang and Western Zhou burials, but a large nine-piece example is extremely rare.

Compare the smaller jade bi made in three plain segments illustrated by Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 158, no. 7:9, dated “Shang or Western Zhou”, with a description of the cutting of the segments and the perforations which lists characteristics matching the present example. Rawson suggests these segmented jade bi may have been made for different reasons at different times and speculates “…jade carvers may have deliberately copied ancient rings that had been mended…” but goes on to say the Shang and Zhou discs made up of divided segments of equal size probably had a special significance.