Australian Nephrite | Hongshan Culture Jade Deity Figure

A Divine Form Carved at the Dawn of Civilisation

This jade figure represents a core deity image from the Hongshan Culture, one of the earliest and most sophisticated jade-using civilisations in prehistoric China (circa 4700–2900 BCE). The sculpture embodies the highest level of symbolic abstraction and spiritual authority found in Hongshan jade art.

The figure is defined by a strong vertical axis and a compact, symmetrical structure. Arms are crossed firmly across the chest, conveying restraint, power, and ritual solemnity. The tall, bifurcated crown and stylised facial mask deliberately diminish human individuality, transforming the figure into a transcendent divine presence rather than a human likeness.

Unlike depictions believed to represent shamans or ritual practitioners, this form is widely interpreted as a direct manifestation of a deity or ancestral god, central to ceremonial belief systems. The controlled geometry, simplified anatomy, and symbolic head ornamentation reflect a mature spiritual language in which jade served as a bridge between the human world and the cosmos.

Carved from dense jade and meticulously polished, the surface preserves natural mineral inclusions and tonal variations. These organic features enhance the sense of age, material integrity, and spiritual gravity, reinforcing jade’s role as a sacred and enduring medium rather than a purely decorative one.

This work stands as a powerful material expression of early cosmology, authority, and belief—an object that speaks not only of craftsmanship, but of humanity’s earliest attempts to define the divine.

Artist: Li Chunxi, Zhenping, Henan, China

• Cultural Origin: Hongshan Culture (Neolithic China)

• Period Reference: Circa 4700–2900 BCE (style-inspired)

• Form: Seated deity figure with crossed arms

• Material: Australian Nephrite Jade

• Colour: Pale to medium green with natural dark mineral inclusions

• Finish: Hand-carved and hand-polished

• Height: 20 cm

• Surface: Natural jade textures preserved

• Style Classification: Core ritual / deity representation

• Production: Hand-carved (contemporary carving inspired by Hongshan prototypes)

• Uniqueness: Each piece is one of a kind due to natural jade variation

Cultural Note:
The Hongshan culture predated both the Shang and Zhou dynasties and is considered a foundational influence in Chinese jade artistry. Artifacts like this reflect mankind’s earliest relationship with jade — not as jewellery, but as sacred vessels of spirit and ritual.