A LARGE CHINESE ARCHAIC CELADON JADE BI

WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

The disc carved with a circular opening to the centre, the celadon stone with a large dark streak and an area of calcification, all raised on an elaborate fitted wood stand with a paper collection label reading '134' to the underside, 23.8cm. (2)

Provenance: from the Fryers Collection of Chinese Art, collection no.134, purchased from René Kitchen Ltd, London, on 6th March 1970. A copy of the invoice is available.

Dr Gordon Fryers (1922-2008) and Dr Rosemary Fryers (1922-1994) moved to Singapore in 1946 after they had both qualified as doctors, and their time there introduced them to Chinese art and culture. However, the Fryers did not start collecting seriously until the 1960s when Gordon's experiences on his many international business trips rightly led him to believe that China would one day play a crucial role in the world economy and that its art would subsequently become highly desirable. With this remarkable foresight in seeing Chinese art as an investment opportunity, Gordon and Rosemary gradually built up their collection over a fifteen-year period in the 1960s and 70s, buying from leading auction houses and dealers. Albeit a clever financial move, Gordon and Rosemary's collecting was by no means without passion, and they both developed a keen interest in the subject. Whilst Rosemary was drawn to ceramics and various works of art, Gordon favoured jades and marvelled at the outstanding craftsmanship behind these pieces.

Cf. Mostra D'arte Cinese Venezia 1954, p.64, no.186 for another related Zhou dynasty bi; see also The National Palace Museum, A Catalogue of the National Palace Museum's Special Exhibition of Circular Jade, no.45 for a similar smaller example dated to the Western Zhou dynasty.