Bi disc "Yuan" , late Neolithic, Bronze Age, c. 2000-500 BCE, diameter 11" with striped tone; central opening 4.75", fine quality
Different kinds of jade discs with varying widths
and ratios between the width of the diameter of the central opening
and width of the jade band have
been classified in the ancient Chinese etymological disctionary Er Ya,
an
11th century
BCE text. According to this ancient reference, a disc with a
central opening measuring in width half of the jade band
is called a bi. A disc with the a central opening measuring twice
the jade band is a yuan and finally a disc with
central opening and jade band of equal width was deemed a
Huan. Presented is this example
of a Yuan.
