Pendant (pei) in the form of a bird

Ornament, bird; carved linear details; opaque tans. (Broken tip of beak and chest [latter original loop?]; adherence, reddish [textiles?].)

Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 4.3 x 5.1 x 0.5 cm (1 11/16 x 2 x 3/16 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.679
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Jewelry

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), bird, China
Provenance

From 1925
C. T. Loo & Co., Paris and New York, from at least 1925 [1]

Mrs. Christian R. (Bettie F.) Holmes (1871-1941), New York and "The Chimneys," Sands Point, Port Washington, Long Island [2]

To 1959
Tonying and Company, New York, to November 25, 1959 [3]

From 1959 to 1987
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York, purchased from Tonying and Company on November 25, 1959 [4]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [5]

Notes:

[1] See Paul Pelliot, Jades Archaïques de Chine appartenant à M. C. T. Loo (Paris and Brussels: G. Van Oest, 1925), pl. XXVI-6.

[2] According to information provided by Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 2009.

[3] See Tonying & Company’s invoice, issued to Arthur M. Sackler, dated November 25, 1959, in which the jade is listed under no. Jo 32: “Archaic Jade Bird / Shang,” copy in object file, provided by Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 2009.

[4] See Tonying & Company’s invoice, citied in note 2.

[5] Pursuant to the agreement between Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mrs. Christian R. Holmes 1871-1941
Tonying and Company established 1902
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler 1913-1987
C.T. Loo & Company 1914-1948

Description

Ornament, bird; carved linear details; opaque tans. (Broken tip of beak and chest [latter original loop?]; adherence, reddish [textiles?].)

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
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects