Ritual object (cong)
Unknown Artist
Among Neolithic jades, the cong displays the most complex form: a cylindrical tube encased in a square prism that gently tapers from top to bottom. Simple masks with circular eyes and bar-shaped mouths decorate the corners. Enigmatic in function and meaning, the cong probably signified wealth and social status.
Credit: Purchase, Sir Joseph Hotung Gift, 2004
c. 2400 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
25.4 x 7.0 cm
2004.52
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2025
Where you'll find this
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection
