Bi (jade)
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A Han Dynasty bi, 16 cm in diameter.
The bi (Chinese: 璧; pinyin: bì; Wade-Giles: pi) is a form of jade artifact from ancient China. The earliest bi were produced in the Neolithic period, particularly by the Liangzhu culture (3400-2250 BC). Later examples date mainly from the Shang, Zhou and Han dynasties. A bi is a flat jade disc with a circular hole in the centre. Neolithic bi are undecorated, while those of later periods of China, like the Zhou dynasty, bear increasingly ornate surface carving. Jade, like bi disks, has been used throughout Chinese history to indicate an individual of moral quality, and has also served as an important symbol of rank. The original function and significance of the bi are unknown, as the Neolithic cultures have no written history. Bi are sometimes found near the stomach and chest in Neolithic burials. Later traditions associate the bi with heaven, and the cong with the earth.[citation needed] Bi disks are consistently found with heaven and earth-like imagery, suggesting that the disk's circular shape also bears symbolic significance. References
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