Cong (vessel) facts for kids
A cong (Chinese: 琮; pinyin: cóng) is a special type of ancient Chinese object. It was often made from jade, a beautiful green stone. People in ancient China used cong for important ceremonies. Later, similar shapes were also made from ceramics (like pottery) and metal.
Contents
What is a Cong?
Ancient Origins
The very first cong were made by people from the Xuejiagang culture and the Liangzhu culture. This was a very long time ago, between 3400 BC and 2250 BC. These ancient cultures lived in what is now China.
Later, during the Shang dynasty and Zhou dynasty (other ancient Chinese periods), cong were still being made. They were important objects for many centuries.
Later Use
People became interested in the cong shape again much later, around the 12th and 13th centuries. This was during the Song dynasty. The unique shape of the cong continued to be used in pottery and metal art for hundreds of years after that.
What Does a Cong Look Like?
A cong is shaped like a tube. It has a round hole in the middle, but its outside is square. The sides of the square can be a bit curved. Imagine a hollow cylinder (like a paper towel roll) stuck inside a square block.
Different Sizes
Cong come in many different sizes. Some are short and wide, while others are tall and thin.
Special Decorations
Sometimes, the outside of a cong has carved designs. These often look like mask-like faces. These faces might be connected to the taotie designs. Taotie are mythical beast faces found on later bronze objects.
What Was Its Purpose?
We don't know for sure what the original purpose of the cong was. Most experts think it was used for some kind of special ceremony or ritual.
Later, ancient Chinese writings described the cong as a symbol for the earth. Another jade object, called a bi, was a flat disc that symbolized the heavens. This idea connects to how the square shape of the cong represents the earth, and its round inner hole represents the sky.
