Catalogue of Ancient Nephrite Figures from the Neolithic Period – China (Hongshan, Liangzhu, and Independent Shamanic Cultures of Central China)

This catalogue presents a representative collection of carved jade figures from the Neolithic period of China, illustrating the rich diversity of regional jade traditions.The objects include masterpieces of the Hongshan culture (ca. 3500–3000 BCE)—long-eared shamanic idols, bird-dragon totems, C-shaped dragon rings, and twin fertility deities—as well as a large white bi disc from the Liangzhu culture (ca. 3300–2300 BCE) and black-nephrite sculptures of independent shamanic communities of Central China (ca. 3500–2500 BCE), such as the Totemic Boar and Winged Night Creature. The catalogue highlights distinct regional carving styles and contrasting jade materials: greenish-olive and yellowish Hongshan tremolite-actinolite nephrite, pure white Liangzhu bi-jade, and dense black Central Chinese nephrite.By juxtaposing these pieces, the publication demonstrates how color, mineral composition, and iconography reflect different ritual functions and cosmological concepts within Neolithic Chinese society. Each entry provides concise documentation of morphology, symbolism, and mineralogy, offering a scientific resource for the comparative study of ancient jade carving, technological traditions, and Neolithic belief systems.