Art of East Asia: Neolithic & Bronze Age China
Erlitou jade carving had reached a state of development that it would
never really surpass. This small staff, contains carefully incised lines
that delineate the features of the human mask. In addition it contains
precisely raised ridges (that seem to have originally been filled with
color?). Jade is a very hard stone (9 on Moh's scale) and meticulous craftsmanship
of this type mad an enormous cost in hours to time required for production.
Such luxury goods, tell a great deal about the relative wealth of the culture
and the power of the rulers and/or priests to demand certain types of expenditures
of time from the populace.
