3,000-year-old 'strange rock' in China sold for over 29 billion VND

This "stone" worth a fortune turns out to be a rare treasure from about 3,000 years ago in China. It is a marble statue of a stone frog, originating from the Shang Dynasty (about 1766 BC - 1122 BC).

This ancient statue is 25 cm long and belongs to a private collection in New York (USA). The statue was sold at Sotheby's New York on September 19 for 1.2 million USD (about more than 29 billion VND).

According to experts, the 3,000-year-old frog statue is exquisitely carved. Specifically, the statue uses skillful carving techniques to depict a stylized frog. In particular, the frog's hind legs are carefully shaped in the form of relief, or embossed, with grooves in the middle.

Ancient craftsmen were also creative in making frog eyes by drilling two small holes and placing them in square sockets.

The "rock" worth more than 29 billion VND turned out to be a frog statue about 3,000 years old.

Experts say that because the Shang people believed in the “other world,” rituals and ancestor worship played an important and essential role in their lives. Therefore, the artworks of this dynasty were mainly bronze vessels made for worship.

In addition, there are many artifacts and relics used for Shang Dynasty rituals made from jade, bone or ivory. However, marble carvings like the frog above are very rare.

In fact, to date, only three marble frog statues have been found dating back to the Shang Dynasty. Of these three, two have the same origin, size, and shape.

A statue from the collection of Richard Bull, was auctioned at Sotheby's New York in 1983. One once owned by the "godfather of Chinese antiques" Giuseppe Eskenazi, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2022, for an estimated $3.67 million.

The third statue is the antique that was just sold for $1.2 million.

What does the $1.2 million statue mean?

According to research by experts, animals were a common motif often seen in art products during the Shang Dynasty. Because people in this dynasty believed that many animals were bridges that helped them communicate with gods or their ancestors.

For example, the owl, a nocturnal bird, was believed by the Shang people to be the god of dreams and a messenger, representing the link between humans and the spiritual world.

However, the meaning of frog-themed artifacts remains a controversial topic among scholars. Some consider frogs a sign of fertility because they lay many eggs. Others believe that frogs are a symbol of prosperity because they often croak loudly when it is about to rain.

The Shang Dynasty, or Yin Shang, was the first clearly identified historical dynasty of China.

According to historical records, the Shang Dynasty had 30 kings, starting with King Thanh Tang and finally collapsing with King Tru, also known as King Tru. The Shang Dynasty was a dynasty that began to rise from the western Wei River Delta and later unified the plains in northern China.

This dynasty was built in the form of decentralized feudalism, meaning that the vassal states all had a certain independence in the process of managing and ruling their country, while the king would be directly responsible to the major vassals...

In particular, vassal states must comply with the obligations of paying taxes, paying tribute and performing the duties of a monarch and subject according to regulations.

(Source: Vietnamese Women)

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