Bi (formerly “pi”) discs are flat circular jade objects with a hole at its center. The geometric pieces are from the Liangzhu society west of what is now Shanghai. They seem to have flourished between 5000 BCE and 2500 BCE. The Bi and the cong are the two most important of these sacred geometric shapes, which were designed to be buried with the bodies of the departed. This burial ritual continued through the Bronze Age. These discs were placed under and on top of the bodies. At first the discs were undecorated. Then they became richly decorated with various symbols including the mysterious “taotie” monster mask. Modern scholars debate the meaning of these objects. However, the surviving esoteric Taoist tradition explains that the “nothingness” at the center of the bi and the cong is the path that spirit takes from the earthly world to the heavenly world.
Rotating video: https://vimeo.com/504565062
- Subject Matter: Ritual vessel
- Inventory Number: 2015.96
- Collections: Sacred World Art Collection