Artifacts, Antiques, & Fine Collect i bles. Neolithic Chinese Dragon Statue Offering to. The Four Sacred Mountains. Dragon Statue of the Son of the Supreme God in Heaven ” Shang Di “. A Ritual Offering by the Dragon Emperor to the Son of Shang Di. His Ancestors who Live in Heavenly (T’ien) Eternity in the Clouds. English Translation Provided of the Ancient Pictographic Characters. 4,700 BC-2,900 BC. In the Presence of the Supreme God of Heaven Shang Di and My Ancestors, the Dragon Emperor Offer His Prayers and these Sacrifices of this Precious Jade Dragon Statue, a Libation of Poured Wine, and the Meat from Sacrificed Animals to Honor Shang Di and the Souls of Our Ancestors Who Eternally Live in Heaven (T’ien) and in this Sacred Mountain. Expanded Translation by W. Houghton, the President of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS. A State of Washington Licensed Business, assumes all responsibility for the information contained in this description and for the English translation and transcription of the ancient Chinese graphic characters. Furthermore, I prohibit the further dissemination of this information in any written, video, or electronic format without my expressed, written approval. This statue is unconditionally guaranteed original and authentic. It was legally imported to the United States and is legal to sell and own under U. Statute Title 19, Chapter 14, Code 2611, Convention on Cultural Property. Chinese Dragon Statue: Imperial Offering to the Four Sacred Mountains. Deep red jade, with incised and painted pictographic characters. The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in the Liao river basin in northeast China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700 to 2900 BC. The culture is named after Hongshanshou, a site in Hongshan District, Chifeng. Weight: 1.88 lb. Very good museum quality for its age with a very old, 21mm chip on one side–see photo # 3. Some of the mineral deposits and micro-crystalline jade white jade in the cut lines has been professional removed by the previous owner in China. Although not normally recommended, this conservation does expose the beauty of the Dragon statue and allows us to transcribe and translate some of the small, pictographic symbols/characters that are some of the earliest written language ever used in Neolithic China some 5,500-years-ago. Further antiquity evidence includes diffusive markings and calcification and a wide variety of characters that could only be found on authentic and original Neolithic Chinese ritual jades. This Dragon/Four Sacred Mountains offering statue was part of a private family collection in China for nearly 65 years. It is unknown if the villager recovered the statue or if someone before him recovered it. This statue has never been exhibited anywhere in the world or has the symbolic meaning revealed and the pictographic characters translated until it was acquired by this author. The statue is now part of his private collection in the State of Washington. Imperial Dragon Offering to the Son of the Supreme God of Heaven, Shang Di. A Dragon can be unseen or visible, minute or huge. However, always it is great. This Dragon statue was almost certainly a ritual offering by an Emperor as he and his large retinue-that could number thousands-traveled on a pilgrimage to the Sacred Mountains in China that were thought to be the embodiment of the Son of the Supreme God of Heaven, Shang Di. But what makes this statue totally unique and museum quality, is that it not only represents a standing Dragon, the symbol of Shang Di, on all four-square feet, but if it is turned upside down, the triangular shaped feet become the peaks of the Four Sacred Mountains in China. And the elongated perforation in the center of the beast becomes the Heavenly clouds that form just below the peaks of the Four Sacred Mountains. In this incredible example, the Dragon not only represents the Supreme God of Heaven, but also his Son who is represented by the Four Sacred Mountains, and the Emperor himself. (See photo # 2 & 10). These Sacred Mountains are not merely the mountain home of the Gods such as Mt. Olympus in Greece or Mt. Sinai in Egypt; it is considered a deity itself and has been venerated by the Chinese as their most sacred peak since at least the third millennium BC. The emperors of ancient China regarded Sacred Mountains like Tai Shan as the actual son of the Emperor of Heaven, from whom they received their own authority to rule the people. The mountain functioned as a God who looked after the affairs of humans and who also acted as a communication channel for humans to speak to God. No humans, not even the Emperor himself, were allowed to directly communicate with the all-powerful Shang Di, as he was considered too omnipotent. Instead, it was necessary to use his Son as an intermediary for prayers intended for this father Shang Di. The Chinese Emperors and the Mountain Gods were called the Sons of the Heaven God Shang Di – the most powerful and revered God in ancient China. This statue would have been offered at a temple that was built just at the top of the Sacred Mountains. There is a dedication of approximately 10+ characters pecked, incised, and even painted on this small amulet. Some tiny characters were painted inside the crescent perforation in the center of the Dragon, as they were not meant to be read by human eyes, but rather only suitable for the sacred eyes of the gods and ancestors. I have translated into English the larger ones and those that I can see clearly enough. See my detailed translation below. This Neolithic Chinese stone statue in the shape of the sacred, omnipotent Dragon is approximately 5,500-years-old and dates to the Hongshan Culture. Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the Emperor of China, who claimed to be the Son of the Supreme God in Heaven. For millennia, Chinese Emperors. Used the image of a Dragon as a symbol to represent their power and only the Emperor could use this image-others would be put to death immediately. This statue depicts the head of the Dragon with one horn and not two horns. This depiction is correct as two horns were did not become the standard until over 1,000 years later. The Dragon has his jaws closed and has a short, stubby tail. But what makes this statue totally unique and museum quality, is that it not only represents a standing Dragon on all four feet, but if it is turned upside down, the triangular shaped feet become the peaks of the Four Sacred Mountains in China–see photo # 2. The Chinese Emperors were called the Sons of the Heaven God Shang Di. One reported pilgrimage by the Emperor and his devoted followers to the top of the Sacred Mountains stretched from the base of the mountain to the very top-a distance of six miles! There is a dedication of approximately 10+ tiny characters pecked, incised, and even painted on this small amulet. Inside and on the surface of each of the jade cut lines on the Dragon statue there are tiny, white, micro-crystalline jade crystals that can only form on carved jade that has been buried in damp soil for millennia. These tiny white crystals are very delicate and can be destroyed even with an edge of a fingernail. It is imperative that extreme care be taken so as not to destroy these crystals any further, as they are the definitive proof that a piece of jade dates to the Neolithic era of China. The once green nephrite jade from the sacred mountains in China has turned a wonderful shade of reddish/brown after being buried for over 5,500 years in the damp soil and absorbing the minerals. It dates to what modern archaeologists call Neolithic China’s Hongshan Culture that existed from about 4,500 BC to 2,900 BC on the banks of the Liao River basin in northeast China in what is now the modern province of Liaoning. Because of the style of the statue and the type of extremely early, Neolithic Chinese graphic characters found on this statue, I estimate it was made by an imperial Hongshan craftsman in about 3,500 BC-or 5,500-years-ago. The image of a Dragon was considered so precious that only the Sons of Shang Di -the Emperors and Warlords who ruled Neolithic China-were allowed to use the image. Anyone else who used or tried to use the image of a Dragon, especially a five-clawed one, would be immediately sentenced to death. The Four Sacred Mountains-and later in Chinese history a fifth mountain range was added-were thought to be alive and were actually the Son of the Supreme God in Heaven Shang Di. This meant that the Son did not just live in the mountains, but that he was literally the mountain. This all-powerful Son of the God Shang Di communicated with his father Shang Di to influence all life on Earth (both animate and inanimate) and, most importantly, the Emperor’s imperial power over all humans on Earth. The Son of Shang Di was thought to have enormous and unlimited powers to affect the weather, rain, droughts, floods, typhoons, harvest, hunts, and the daily lives of each of the inhabitants of the Emperor’s Kingdom. But if, for example, the many astronomers that the Emperors employed (sometimes over 300) failed to predict a Solar eclipse, not only would they all be put to death for not understanding the predictions that the Son of Shang Di offered them. Furthermore, the Emperor power to rule would be questioned as the Emperor is the Son of the Mountain God, and if the God lost faith in the Emperor, he could be deposed by another leader who was thought to have better communication with the Gods. As a rule, imperial astronomers usually keep meticulous astronomical charts of the stars and planets, but if an unsuspected meteor shower or a recurring meteor shower like Haley’s Comet was not predicted in advance, the imperial astronomers were terminated with prejudice. Dragon Symbolism in China. In China, the Dragon (in Chinese ” Long “) has for millennia been the symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, eternity, Yang and Yin, as well as for male vigor and fertility. The Dragon is considered as one of the 12 Ornaments and one of the most complex and multi-tiered Chinese symbols. The Chinese dragon can fiercely protect one from Evil Spirits and harm. The nine major characteristics of a lung-type dragon include a camel-like head, deer-like horns, hare-like eyes, bull-like ears, an iguana-like neck, a frog-like belly, carp-like scales, tiger-like paws and eagle-like claws. This bronze dragon has a pair of large canine teeth and long, tendril-like whiskers extending from either side of its mouth that were thought to be used for feeling its way along the bottom of muddy ponds. In China, the dragon is credited with having great powers that allowed it to make rain and control floods by striking the river with its mighty tail, for example. Dragons are also revered for their ability to transport humans to the celestial realms after death. They are symbols of the natural world, adaptability, and transformation to immortal status. When two dragons are placed together in opposite directions, they symbolize eternity, i. The famous Yin-Yang symbol. Chinese emperors literally thought they were the real dragons and Sons of Heaven. Thus, the beds they slept on are called “dragon beds;” the throne, a “dragon seat;” and the emperor’s ceremonial dresses are known as dragon robes. In the minds of the early Chinese people, the dragon was a god that embodied the will and ideals of the Chinese people. It is said that the dragon is a large-scaled reptile, which can become dark or bright, large or small, long or short, and fly into the sky in the spring and live underwater in the fall. It seems that the dragon is capable of doing almost anything. Traditionally, the dragons were considered the governors of rainfalls in Chinese culture. They had the power to decide where and when it would rain. They also believed kings of water dragons lived in dragon palaces under the ocean. The Chinese sign for the dragon appeared during the Yin and Shang dynasties (16th-11th century BC — the period of the earliest Chinese hieroglyphs), between inscriptions on bones and turtle shields. The inscriptions depicted a horned reptile, with teeth, scales and sometimes even claws. In ancient China, nobody had any doubt about the existence of dragons. People showed great respect for any depictions of dragons — in paintings, carvings and writings. As a result, the dragon became the symbol of the Chinese nation. All people in China, including the emperor, prostrated themselves before the image of a dragon with reverence and awe. As a result, this fictional creature became the spiritual sustenance for the nation first as the totem of a tribe and then as the symbol of the nation. Eventually, the dragon became the symbol on the national flag of the last feudal dynasty, the Qing Dynasty. The Chinese people considered themselves the descendants of the dragon. As the emblem of the emperor and imperial command, the legend of the Chinese dragon permeates the ancient Chinese civilization and has shaped its culture. Its benevolence signifies greatness, goodness and blessings. The Sacred Mountains of China. The sacred mountains are among the best-known natural landmarks in Chinese history. Since the early periods in Chinese history, they have been the ritual sites of imperial worship and sacrifice by various emperors. The first legendary sovereigns of China went on excursions or formed processions to the summits of the Five Great Mountains. Every visit took place at the same time of the year. The excursions were hunting trips and ended in ritual offerings to the reigning Son the Shang Di who was the mountain. The highest mountain range in Liaoning Province is Phoenix Mountain, also known by its Chinese name Fenghuangshan. It is a located in Fengcheng, Dandong Prefecture, Liaoning Province, China. Its highest peak is called Jianyan Chinese. With a height of 836 meters above sea level. Phoenix Mountain is one of Liaoning Provinces’ four famous mountains, the other three being Qianshan, Yiwulü Mountain, and Yao Mountain. The highest and most revered mountain in China’s long history is Tai Shan. It is not merely the mountain home of the Gods, such as Mt. Sinai in Egypt, rather it is considered a deity itself and has been venerated by the Chinese as their most sacred peak since at least the third millennium BC. The emperors of ancient China regarded Tai Shan as the actual son of the Emperor of Heaven, from whom they received their own authority to rule the people. Seventy-two legendary emperors are said to have come to Tai Shan, but the first known evidence dates from a rock carving left on the mountain in 219 BC by Emperor Shih-huang who is remembered for having begun construction of the Great Wall. Historical records tell of the enormous retinues that would accompany an emperor on his pilgrimage to Tai Shan; lines of people might stretch from the bottom to the top of the mountain, a distance of over six miles. In addition to the royalty, artists and poets have also favored the holy peak. The walls lining the path up the mountain are covered with poems and tributes carved in stone, proclaiming the importance and beauty of the surroundings. Confucius and the poet Dufu both wrote poems expressing their respect, and legends tell that those who climb the mountain will live until they are one hundred years old. Over 7,000 steps lead to the summit, and the slopes are dotted with numerous temples, inns, small restaurants, and shops for the millions of annual pilgrims. Two important temples are situated at the top of the peak; the Temple of the Jade Emperor, the heavenly ruler of this world; and the Bixia, the Temple of the Princess of the Azure Clouds, the daughter of the Jade Emperor. The temple of the Princess is perhaps the preeminent place of pilgrimage for Chinese women. Thousands make the long climb each day, and occasionally one may still see very old women with the tiny, bound feet of pre-communist times. Mothers whose daughters have been unable to conceive come to pray for grandchildren, and two attendant goddesses standing next to the Princess are miracle working images, one for curing eye ailments, the other for children’ diseases. Mount Tai Shan is the most famous sacred mountain of China, with exceptional historic, cultural, aesthetic and scientific value. Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic (a Dawenkou site is nearby), the mountain has been worshipped continuously throughout the last three millennia. A large and impressive rock mass covering 25,000 ha and rising to 1,545 m above the surrounding plateau, Mount Taishan is considered one of the most beautiful scenic spots in China and was an important cradle of oriental East Asian culture since the earliest times. The mountain was an important object of the cult worship of mountains even before 219 BCE, when the Qin Emperor, Huang Di, paid tribute to the mountain in the Fengshan sacrifices to inform the gods of his success in unifying all of China. On the mountain there are 12 historically recorded imperial ceremonies in homage to Heaven and Earth, about 1,800 stone tablets and inscriptions, and 22 temples, which together make Mount Taishan the most important monument in China, a world-renowned treasure house of history and culture. The emperors, starting with the First Emperor of Qin, formalized these expeditions and incorporated them into state ritual as prescribed by Confucianism. With every new dynasty, the new emperor hurried to the Five Great Mountains in order to lay claim to his newly acquired domains. Barring a number of interruptions, this imperial custom was preserved until the end of the last dynasty, when, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, Yuan Shikai had himself crowned as emperor at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. But just to be safe, he also made an offering to the god of the northern Mount Heng. Perhaps the most primitive reason was the belief that mountains, especially the tallest ones, were pillars separating heaven from earth. According to one ancient Chinese cosmology, the realm of Heaven covered the realm of Earth and from this belief arose the idea that Heaven could fall down if not supported. The mountains were believed to perform this function and were often represented by four pillars or columns. For millennia, the Sacred Mountains have all been important destinations for pilgrimage; the Chinese expression for pilgrimage. Being a shortened version of an expression which means ” Paying Respect to a Holy Mountain “. Translation of Pictographic Characters. As noted above, this unique statue contains an estimated 20+ ancient, Chinese pictographic characters that have been incised and pecked into the amulet. The characters were normally written to offer sacrifice to the Ancestors and plead that they accept the soul of the departed into Heaven (Tien) for eternal life. We know that this amulet was made in the mid-Hongshan Culture (4700 BC-2250 BC) because of the characters on this amulet, as this Neolithic culture used this type of character/word (also called graphics) from 3,800 BC until about 3,000 BC. This style of writing called Shuowen Jiezi was used before the next type of Chinese characters were used to form a written language that we now call Seal Script or Ku’wen. Ref: Chinese Characters, Wieger, S. These amazing graphics can best be seen under 10x magnification, but even then I cannot see all of them clearly enough to decipher and translate them. Millenia of mineral deposits and natural pitting and weathering have made it difficult for me to clearly see the tiny figures-some only about 2mm tall, and the largest is only 30 mm long. This artwork is truly spectacular and of museum quality. Here are just a few of the characters that are engraved in the ancient pictographic script over 5,000-years-ago. One of the largest characters is the one composed of the three lines that are on top of the snout of the Dragon. That is the character ” San ” that means Heaven, Earth & Mankind. In ancient form, it can also represent the perfect, parallel lines formed by a square, and thus also symbolizes the perfect life lead by this man as he seeks approval from the Ancestors to enter Heaven. See macro photos # 4, 6, 7. Another large character on the front of the amulet serves as the mouth of the cicada and looks like the letter “I” or ” Kung ” in Chinese and means superior skill or perfect work in Chinese. This symbol is used to signify to the Ancestors and Gods in Heaven (in Chinese Tien) that the soul who was passed was a worthy man whose life on Earth was perfect and thus worthy to enter and live with the Ancestors for eternity. The statue itself represents the Supreme God in Heaven Shang Di, who is also receiving the offerings. A large animal that was sacrificed by the son. The son has a flint knife in his hand. A Fire-Breathing Dragon wards off Evil Spirits. He is located just below the white chip on the side of the Dragon. See macro photo # 8. Another smaller Dragon that is believed to represent the warlord, king, or emperor who has passed away and who was the Son of Shang Di. A Heaven Bird flying towards the stars and carrying the prayers of Earth to Heaven. And over an estimated 20+ other graphics/characters. Here is my rough and expanded translation of the many pictographic characters and symbols contained on the jade Dragon. My apologies in advance for any errors that are solely those of this author. In ancient times, inscriptions and dedications to honor the deceased were oftentimes inscribed in places that only the Ancestors and Gods could see, or made so small that only the Ancestors could read them. It was believed that mere mortals were not worthy to read inscriptions meant only for the eyes of departed Ancestors in Heaven (Tien). It appears that there are pictographs inscribed inside the elongated, center hole that represents the clouds in Heaven. NOTE: This is a stunning, historical masterpiece of Neolithic Chinese jade carving and worthy of the finest museum or personal collections. Please examine the macro photos carefully as they are part of the description. This item is in the category “Antiques\Asian Antiques\China\Figurines & Statues”. The seller is “houghton-usa” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, all countries in Europe, all countries in continental Asia, Canada, Australia.

• Region of Origin: China
• Animal Type: Dragon
• Age: Pre-1800
• Primary Material: Jade
• Theme: Spiritual Figure–Supreme God of Heaven, Dragon, Nature Scene
• Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
• Translation: Ancient Chinese Characters translated into English
• Weight: 1.88 lb. (852gr)
• Features: Handcarved
• Color: Deep Burgandy
• Height: 10\
• Chinese Dynasty: Hongshan