Finial in the form of a bird with dragon

A hole in the foot may indicate that this small sculptural object was fixed in a stand to serve as a statuette. It could also have been used as a pendant, especially since there is a bore-hole in the lower edge of the beak. The representation is that of a bird of prey, possibly an owl. Its head is surmounted by a kuei [kui] 夔 dragon, which assumes a protective position. A cowry shell is engraved below the eye. (Streaks of creamy calcification; deposits; end roughened, pitted.)

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Historical period(s)
Forgery in the style of the late Shang dynasty, 20th century
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 9 x 3.5 x 1.2 cm (3 9/16 x 1 3/8 x 1/2 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.519
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, dragon, forgery
Provenance

To 1959
Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), Shanghai, China, London, England, Montreal, Canada, New York, NY, and Ridgefield, Connecticut [1]

From 1963 to 1987
Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from the Bahr Collection in 1963 [2]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]

Notes:

[1] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009.

[2] See #354: "Bird and Tiger Grey-whtie-black," on list provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009, copy in object file.

[3] 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)

Abel William Bahr 1877-1959
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler 1913-1987

Description

A hole in the foot may indicate that this small sculptural object was fixed in a stand to serve as a statuette. It could also have been used as a pendant, especially since there is a bore-hole in the lower edge of the beak. The representation is that of a bird of prey, possibly an owl. Its head is surmounted by a kuei [kui] 夔 dragon, which assumes a protective position. A cowry shell is engraved below the eye. (Streaks of creamy calcification; deposits; end roughened, pitted.)

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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