Bi (jade)

Bi
A Han-era bi, 16 cm in diameter.
Chinese璧
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinbì
Wade–Gilespi
Bi disc from the Liangzhu culture (Museum Angewandte Kunst, 2006)
Bi with dragon designs, from the Chu King's Mausoleum at Shizishan Hill, Xuzhou

The bi (Chinese: 璧) is a type of circular ancient Chinese jade artifact. The earliest bi were produced in the Neolithic period, particularly by the Liangzhu culture (3400–2250 BCE).[1] Later examples date mainly from the Shang, Zhou and Han dynasties. They were also made in glass.

  1. ^ Teaching Chinese Archaeology, object 3 - NGA Archived May 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine