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Between Heaven and Earth:
Secrets of the Jade Cong
From the work of 
Bernard I. Pietsch
Compiled by Suzanne Thompson
Introduction: Beneath the Tradition
From the ancient recesses of Chinese history, threemysterious art forms emerged: the pi disk, the music stoneand the cong. Though variations have evolved through theages, each motif has endured for millennia.Our research suggests that these three objects are linkedthrough number and geometry to an underlying physical andcosmological understanding. The shape and geometry of each contains information which can be deciphered. Eachshape is also part of a larger framework, the analysis of whichreveals much about the mind that produced the art, as wellas the science which cultivated it. The following presentationfocuses on one of the three forms--the artifact known as a
ts'hung,
or 
con
g.Traditionally, the cong has been considered simply anarchaic burial object for the “worship of the earth.” Theyappear in various sizes, and some are estimated to be morethan 4,000 years old. Thousands have been removed fromburial sites all over China.Like the pi disc and music stone, the cong exercises a modeof communication that can be "read." The system of communication embedded in the work originated in therecognition of fundamental relationships in the natural order.Scientific observations, perhaps millennia in the making, wereencoded in works of art--in the languages of number,geometry and measure. Over time, direct transmission of theknowledge the works contained was lost. Only the
form
itself survived, carried forth by tradition like a container without its
Pi DiskMusic Stone or ChingIn his comprehensive survey of the symbolic and ritualistic nature of Chinese jades, Charles StanleyNott offers four criteria for evaluating the virtue of antique jade art: rarity and age, merit of execution,aesthetic value and quality of stone. To this list we would add a fifth factor, one unforeseen by Nott--thegeometric and metrological (measured) context of the work.The revelation that these ancient forms fit into a large and invisible geometric framework will come asno surprise--Chinese poets have alluded to the metaphysical qualities of jade for centuries, and to thefact that it is an art comprehended indirectly. In the following essay Mr. Pietsch exposes both thegeometry embedded in an archaic sculpture, and the significance of the numbers associated with theform.This approach introduces a new chapter in collecting. In the future, scholars and curators may beobliged to appraise not only the aesthetic properties of jades, but also the metrological provenance of objects in their collections.Congs
 
 
Between Heaven & Earth: Secrets of the Jade Cong 
From the work of Bernard I. Pietsch & Suzanne Thompson ©2008Saved 01-31-2009 Page 2 of 35
 
contents. Appreciation of the artifact was sustained only byreverence for the past--the knowledge it once contained,traded for mystery.Even so, the conceptual intent of an artifact like the cong, canbe recovered by reading its attributes: the qualities of itsmaterial, its geometry, and the quantities of its measure.Properly read, one can assess the true value of a work, notonly to confirm its authenticity but also to appraise itsprovenance as a masterpiece of conceptual art. For this study, we have chosen a model we believe to besuch a masterpiece. It is prototypical of the cong concept. Inmeasure and form it demonstrates many of the processeswith which we may investigate other artifactsin its class. Because of its unusual size, we refer to it as thevery large cong or VLC for short.Decoding the cong involves identifying its characteristicfeatures and examining how each part relates to the others.Height, width, volume and weight all participate; each featureof the piece relates to the whole and derives from an origin.After dissecting the physical and geometric attributes we willtrace the associations which drive the form and triangulate,as it were from several perspectives. Aspects of the designwhich are not part of the physical object itself will have animportant part to play in the overall communication. Meaningwill be found in the
extension
of the geometry, in the empty
spaces
contained by the cong and in the indications of 
time
determined by the period of a pendulum. Our aim is to re-construct the artifact from a
conceptual ground 
anddemonstrate how this simple jade object transcends thelimitations of physical form and fulfils its traditional role as “astone of heaven for the worship of the earth.”
Bernard Pietsch with the Very Large Cong
 
6
Between Heaven & Earth: Secrets of the Jade Cong 
From the work of Bernard I. Pietsch & Suzanne Thompson ©2008Saved 01-31-2009 Page 3 of 35
 
I.Overview: Anatomy of the Very Large Cong
Congs come in various sizes, but characteristically theyinclude the following elements: bore, cone, corners andcollars. In the particular model we have selected for analysis,each of the above features makes an important contributionto the artistic narrative of the whole.
The Bore
The bore is an
essential 
part of the cong. (Figs. 1 & 2) It isnot material yet it is defined by the material of the cong. Thebore is the empty space around which the cong is devised. Ina sense, the cong emerges from the empty attributes of thebore. It is the same height as the cong and is cylindrical; itssides are parallel. It has diameter, volume, and surface area,but being just space, has no weight.
The Cone
The cong is basically built on the form of a truncated cone,and is traditionally displayed standing on its smaller end. (Fig.1) For purposes of illustration, we will show it inverted, withthe larger end down. The cone physically encloses the emptybore. (Fig. 3)Each end plane of the truncated cone is different in diameter —one larger than the other (Figs. 4 & 5). The geometry anddimensions of each end plane are integral aspects of thecomposition, and to a large degree, organize it, as does theheight of the truncatedcone and bore.
The Corners and Collars
The bore and cone are partiallyenclosed by four not quite rectangular corner embellishments or prisms.(Fig.6) The prisms do not extend thefull length of the cone, but stop shortof either end, creating the appearanceof a “collar” on each end. The collarsare actually the exposed cone. As inour model, the prism elements are often carved with lines andsimple mask like motifs. The geometry, dimensions andweights of the prisms and the exposed portions of the coneand collars can be isolated as meaningful components.
Fig. 1
53
Small and Larger EndPlanes of Cong
4
Cong invertedTruncated Cone& Bore
Fig. 3
5
Empty BoreFig. 2
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