Gui scepter with two holes

In the light-grayish jade used for this gui, there are dark-gray flaws on the top and black in the holes and on the surface of the tablet. The two holes were made differently. The upper one was drilled from two sides, leaving most of the center solid with a raised nipple; the one below was drilled from one side only. The entire piece is highly polished.

Rectangular jades from the Longshan culture in the east and the west have been called blades (ben or yue) by archaeologists. Rectangular jades with two holes, found in early Shang tombs of the Bronze Age in Henan, have been identified as gui tablets (Zgyqqj 1993, vol. 2, plates 4–5). Holes in those gui were reportedly drilled from two sides; this drilling technique was not found in Western Zhou gui found in Shaanxi (Liu 1996, [page nos.?], plates 81, 92, 93, 102, 128). Jade gui, associated with ceremonies and symbolizing nobility, persisted throughout China's history.

This piece uses a new material to imitate a Shang style. Black dye was applied to the holes, and the whole piece was dyed to create emerging tracks on the surface. The perfectly finished nipple in the center of the upper hole also identifies it as a later piece.