Pendant with mask

A grayish green jade archer’s bow end with black markings. The upper part has the form of a feline head with capped horns. The spirals behind it and a line parallel to and below the mouth occur on one side only, presumably because the other side was hidden by the bow. There is a perforation behind the eyes. (Surface veins and pits; flaws; clouding; soil adheres behind ears.)

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Historical period(s)
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 9.9 x 3.2 x 2.2 cm (3 7/8 x 1 1/4 x 7/8 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1987.837
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

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

A grayish green jade archer's bow end with black markings. The upper part has the form of a feline head with capped horns. The spirals behind it and a line parallel to and below the mouth occur on one side only, presumably because the other side was hidden by the bow. There is a perforation behind the eyes. (Surface veins and pits; flaws; clouding; soil adheres behind ears.)

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
  • et al. Asian Art in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: The Inaugural Gift. Washington, 1987. cat. 41, p. 85.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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