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[PRIVATE ENGLISH COLLECTION, ENGLAND] GROUP OF SEVEN CHINESE JADE APERTURES COVERS AND PLUGS
POSSIBLY HAN DYANSTY
£630
Auction: 16 May 2025 from 09:00 BST
Description
或為漢代 帶沁玉九竅塞（一組七件）
comprising: a pair of eye covers, either end with a drilled hole; and five octagonal-shaped plugs of different sizes, each jade with white inclusions (7)
Dimensions
the eye cover: 6cm wide
Provenance
Private English collection, England
英格蘭私人收藏
Footnote
Ancient Chinese believed that jade could preserve the body from decaying. Ge Hong (葛洪), a famous physician and Taoist from the Jin dynasty (265–420), stated in his book Baopuzi (《抱朴子》): “If gold and jade are placed in the nine orifices, then the dead will be immortal (金玉在九竅，則死人為不朽).” The so-called “nine orifices” refer to the eyes, mouth, ears, two nostrils, genitalia, and anus. Correspondingly, jade burial suits often included components like eye covers, nasal plugs, earplugs, mouthpieces, small boxes covering the genitalia, and jade anal plugs.
A closely comparable set of jade covers and plugs, dated to the Han dynasty, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, museum nos: Xin 新54979, 116107, 116108, 200607, 200608, 200610 and Gu 故85043 and 9380. Another pair of jade eye covers, dated to the Han dynasty, is in the collection of the British Museum, registration number: 1945,1017.25.a-b.