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Source Description
The cong, a cylindrical tube with a square outer section, was one of the most impressive jade implements used in ancient rites. The ritual text Rites of Zhou mentions the use of the cong for the worship of the earth. However, its function and meaning in the earlier Neolithic societies are not completely understood.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95096
label
Ceremonial Tube (Cong)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95096
contentType
object
title
Ceremonial Tube (Cong)
description
The cong, a cylindrical tube with a square outer section, was one of the most impressive jade implements used in ancient rites. The ritual text Rites of Zhou mentions the use of the cong for the worship of the earth. However, its function and meaning in the earlier Neolithic societies are not completely understood.
date
c. 1600–1056 BCE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60761182
genreSpecific
Jade
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 20.6 cm (8 1/8 in.)
cul
China, Shang dynasty (c. 1600–c. 1046 BCE)
accession
1915.63
Source extras
tec
jade (nephrite)
tombstone
Ceremonial Tube (Cong) (玉琮), c. 1600–1056 BCE. China, Shang dynasty (c. 1600–c. 1046 BCE). Jade (nephrite); overall: 20.6 cm (8 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1915.630
titleInOriginalLanguage
玉琮
collection
China - Shang Dynasty
didYouKnow
The Interior cavity of this piece of jade was bored from both ends, making an irregular ridge near the center.
citations
citation
Wilson, J. Keith. "Lithic Art in the Bronze Age: A Jade Dagger-Axe." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 77, no. 1 (1990): 2-35.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 31, p. 3
creditline
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:04:50.541000
sourceId
95096
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Shang Dynasty
med
jade (nephrite)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d4e56074f8df0ce9