Pendant in the form of a fish, one of a pair, probably reworked from a collared disk

Fish pendant of thin, tannish gray material. Curved in form, with incut to mark transition between dorsal fin and splayed, bifurcated tail. Diagonal striations indicate fins. Pairs of ventral fins, one of which is chipped, extend at right angles to the body of the fish. Biconical perforation. One of a pair with F1979.27.

Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1250-1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 5.5 × 1.9 × 0.9 cm (2 3/16 × 3/4 × 3/8 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1979.26
On View Location
Sackler Gallery 23b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), Carl Whiting Bishop collection, China, fish
Provenance

From 1923-25
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased by Carl Whiting Bishop’s assistant, Dong Guangzhong in China. [1]

Notes:

[1] See Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office. The object was transferred from the Freer Study Collection (Bishop Collection) to the permanent collection on August 8, 1974. Also see Curatorial Remark 2 in the object record.

Description

Fish pendant of thin, tannish gray material. Curved in form, with incut to mark transition between dorsal fin and splayed, bifurcated tail. Diagonal striations indicate fins. Pairs of ventral fins, one of which is chipped, extend at right angles to the body of the fish. Biconical perforation. One of a pair with F1979.27.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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