Chinese Han Nephrite Jade Dish with Cicadas

**First Time At Auction**

East Asia, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A beautiful shallow dish, carved from nephrite jade, of ovoid form and featuring two high relief cicadas, each carved with their distinctive long, winged bodies and bulging eyes, at its sides as handles. The pale jade is banded with varying shades of green - mint, moss, forest - and has smoothed edges and incised details. The cicada, known as the "tsan", was a common theme of Chinese burials from the Neolithic period onward, and was particularly popular in the Han period. Jade cicadas were sometimes placed on the tongue and symbolized transformation and resurrection because of their unique life cycle. Size: 4.75" W x 4.75" H (12.1 cm x 12.1 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Ventura County, California, USA collection, purchased in USA prior to 2000

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#154018
Condition Report: Intact, with pitting and deposits on the surface. Great preservation of form.