Period:Shang dynasty Production date:15thC BC-10thC BC
Materials:jade
Technique:carved, polished, incised,
Subjects:bird
Dimensions:Height: 1.90 centimetres Length: 2.60 centimetres
Description:
Bird in the round of translucent green jade with earth encrustation finished to a soft polish.
IMG
![图片[1]-figure BM-2022-3034.114-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Shang dynasty/Jades/mid_bird.jpg)
Comments:This small bird is modelled in three dimensions. It has a rounded pert head with an incised circular eye and a pointed beak that is slightly raised. Within the rounded breast the upswept feathers of the wing are indicated by a large scroll that spreads into a series of parallel bands. There is a large claw and a small tail with striated feathers. Through the breast runs a small hole. During the Shang period birds were shown both as flat pendants, as in the previous example, 61 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.116], and in the round as here. A fairly plain example in white jade has come from Fu Hao’s tomb and birds with layered wing feather are also quite common. See Rawson 1995, p.226, cat.no.12.26. The bird in the round carved in relief displays realistic features with protuberant round eyes, ridged and pointed beak, upswept wing feathers, bifurcated and striated tail feathers standing on clawed feet. A single biconical perforation runs through its breast. Shang. Length 30mm. Height 20mm.
Materials:jade
Technique:carved, polished, incised,
Subjects:bird
Dimensions:Height: 1.90 centimetres Length: 2.60 centimetres
Description:
Bird in the round of translucent green jade with earth encrustation finished to a soft polish.
IMG
Comments:This small bird is modelled in three dimensions. It has a rounded pert head with an incised circular eye and a pointed beak that is slightly raised. Within the rounded breast the upswept feathers of the wing are indicated by a large scroll that spreads into a series of parallel bands. There is a large claw and a small tail with striated feathers. Through the breast runs a small hole. During the Shang period birds were shown both as flat pendants, as in the previous example, 61 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.116], and in the round as here. A fairly plain example in white jade has come from Fu Hao’s tomb and birds with layered wing feather are also quite common. See Rawson 1995, p.226, cat.no.12.26. The bird in the round carved in relief displays realistic features with protuberant round eyes, ridged and pointed beak, upswept wing feathers, bifurcated and striated tail feathers standing on clawed feet. A single biconical perforation runs through its breast. Shang. Length 30mm. Height 20mm.
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![[Qing Dynasty] British female painter—Elizabeth Keith, using woodblock prints to record China from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China—1915-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-191x300.png)
