Pendant in the form of a fish

This fish is fashioned from a slender, slightly biconical piece of jade. The head is defined by a circular eye and curving gill. The tapering mouth has a small perforation. Diagonal lines indicate the upper and lower fins. Both portions of the tail are elegantly curved. (Slight flaking [calcification?] around eye; some calcification clouding.)

Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 1.8 × 10.4 × 0.3 cm (11/16 × 4 1/8 × 1/8 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1987.843
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), China, fish
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

This fish is fashioned from a slender, slightly biconical piece of jade. The head is defined by a circular eye and curving gill. The tapering mouth has a small perforation. Diagonal lines indicate the upper and lower fins. Both portions of the tail are elegantly curved. (Slight flaking [calcification?] around eye; some calcification clouding.)

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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