The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 21, 2025
Ceremonial Tube (Cong)
c. 1600–1056 BCE
(c. 1600–c. 1046 BCE)
Overall: 20.6 cm (8 1/8 in.)
Location: 241A Arts of Ancient China
Did You Know?
The Interior cavity of this piece of jade was bored from both ends, making an irregular ridge near the center.Description
The cong, a cylindrical tube with a square outer section, was one of the most impressive jade implements used in ancient rites. The ritual text Rites of Zhou mentions the use of the cong for the worship of the earth. However, its function and meaning in the earlier Neolithic societies are not completely understood.- ?–1915(Dr. John C. Ferguson 福開森 [1866–1945], sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art through H. W. [Henry Watson] Kent [1866–1948])1915–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Wilson, J. Keith. "Lithic Art in the Bronze Age: A Jade Dagger-Axe." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 77, no. 1 (1990): 2-35. Mentioned: p. 31, p. 3 www.jstor.org
- {{cite web|title=Ceremonial Tube (Cong)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1600–1056 BCE|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.630