J.J. Lally & Co., Oriental Art / New York City, New York
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55.
A SMALL WHITE JADE OWL FORM PENDANT
Shang Dynasty, 12th – 11th Century B.C.
of flattened form, the bird shown in profile with wings folded, the head with a squared crest, hooked beak and lightly incised large round eye, decorated with incised double-line scroll motifs on both sides, the legs and feet held in close to the plump body, the ribbed back curving down to a short flaring tail, pierced through the beak with a suspension hole drilled from both sides, the translucent white jade with remains of earth and cinnabar.
Height 1 1⁄4 inches (3.2 cm)
A similar jade owl form pendant discovered in the Shang dynasty royal tomb of Fu Hao (d. circa 1200 B.C.) is illustrated in Yinxu Fu Hao mu (Tomb of Lady Hao at Yinxu in Anyang), Beijing, 1980, pl. 139, no. 3, and in an ink rubbing on p. 167, pl. 87, no. 3. Two other similar jade pendants also discovered in the Fu Hao tomb, are illustrated op. cit., pl. 144, no. 1 (1110 and 367) and in ink rubbings on p. 167, nos. 2 and 9.
Compare also the jade owl form pendant excavated in 1980 at Maoxicun, Maoxi, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji (Compendium of Chinese Jades), Vol. 2, Shang and Western Zhou, Shijiazhuang, 1993, p. 118, no. 165, with description on p. 274, described as late Shang dynasty; and the small jade bird form pendant of closely related form with similar incised decoration illustrated by Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 225, no. 12:25, described as Shang.
商 白玉鴞 高 3.2 厘米
Additional Images (Touch to enlarge)
55.
A SMALL WHITE JADE OWL FORM PENDANT
Shang Dynasty, 12th – 11th Century B.C.
Height 1 1⁄4 inches (3.2 cm)