Knife pendant in the form of a bird

Bird pendant of semi-translucent, mottled greenish-white material. Bird depicted in profile with details of beak, crest, wings, tail, and legs rendered in summary manner. Straight, incised line separates legs and tail from upper portion of body on either side of pendant. Biconical perforation for eye.

Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.7 × 2.5 × 0.4 cm (1 7/16 × 1 × 3/16 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1979.25
On View Location
Sackler Gallery 24b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), bird, Carl Whiting Bishop collection, China
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Bird pendant of semi-translucent, mottled greenish-white material. Bird depicted in profile with details of beak, crest, wings, tail, and legs rendered in summary manner. Straight, incised line separates legs and tail from upper portion of body on either side of pendant. Biconical perforation for eye.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
  • Julia Murray. A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980. Exh. cat. Washington, 1979. cat. 2, p. 13.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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