A jade bi disc of circular form with a large, slightly irregular, circular aperture. The stone is of a creamy colour with inclusions of russet, grey, and orange, as well as areas of calcification.
Chinese Neolithic period: Circa 4000-3000 BC.
Very Fine condition
Diameter 14 cms (5.5 ins)
Thickness around the centre 2.5 cms (1 inch).
Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art.