Pendant in the form of a fish

Fish pendant of green jade with lighter transverse veining. Curved silhouette, with roughly indicated eyes and fins and narrowing in splayed, bifurcated tail. A blade-shaped extension from the tail forms a pendant tool. Biconical perforation on extended curling snout. Stone polished to a soft lustre. Traces of red pigment.

Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.1 × 9.2 × 0.5 cm (1 1/4 × 3 5/8 × 3/16 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1979.34
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

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

Fish pendant of green jade with lighter transverse veining. Curved silhouette, with roughly indicated eyes and fins and narrowing in splayed, bifurcated tail. A blade-shaped extension from the tail forms a pendant tool. Biconical perforation on extended curling snout. Stone polished to a soft lustre. Traces of red pigment.

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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