Period:Song dynasty Production date:10thC-13thC
Materials:jade
Technique:carved, polished,
Subjects:phoenix plant
Dimensions:Height: 4.50 centimetres Width: 5.40 centimetres
Description:
Bird plaque of translucent greyish yellow jade with some veining with good polish.
IMG
![图片[1]-plaque BM-2022-3034.214-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Song dynasty/Jades/520_.jpg)
Comments:Song or Jin dynasty, 12thC-13thC. An oval frame, visible only on the back, provides the base for this openwork display of a bird among flowers. The bird stands, its head turned back, looking over its wing at its long flowing tail. At the top edge are large leaf or flower forms and along the bottom is a star-like flower with more leaves. Four diagonal perforations, forming two channels, are on the rim of the underside of the plaque. Both the form and the openwork are characteristic of a large category of ornaments of the Song, Jin and Yuan periods. Very often the heads of the birds are wound among the tendrils of flowers. One of the major attractions of the subject matter was its potential as a means of displaying virtuosity in carving three-dimensional openwork. Indeed, jade is suited to the form, as its strength ensures that it does not fracture across slender branches and sprays. In gold or silver, which were also used for similar ornaments, these thin shapes were liable to be bent in use. In later periods these effects were widely exploited in a large category of openwork belt ornaments. See Rawson 1995, p.337, cat.no.25.13. The oval openwork convex plaque carved in high relief depicts a phoenix with flowing tail feathers and outstretched wings frolicking among flowering plants. Four diagonal perforations forming two channels are on the rim of the underside of the plaque. Jin. Width 54mm.
Materials:jade
Technique:carved, polished,
Subjects:phoenix plant
Dimensions:Height: 4.50 centimetres Width: 5.40 centimetres
Description:
Bird plaque of translucent greyish yellow jade with some veining with good polish.
IMG
Comments:Song or Jin dynasty, 12thC-13thC. An oval frame, visible only on the back, provides the base for this openwork display of a bird among flowers. The bird stands, its head turned back, looking over its wing at its long flowing tail. At the top edge are large leaf or flower forms and along the bottom is a star-like flower with more leaves. Four diagonal perforations, forming two channels, are on the rim of the underside of the plaque. Both the form and the openwork are characteristic of a large category of ornaments of the Song, Jin and Yuan periods. Very often the heads of the birds are wound among the tendrils of flowers. One of the major attractions of the subject matter was its potential as a means of displaying virtuosity in carving three-dimensional openwork. Indeed, jade is suited to the form, as its strength ensures that it does not fracture across slender branches and sprays. In gold or silver, which were also used for similar ornaments, these thin shapes were liable to be bent in use. In later periods these effects were widely exploited in a large category of openwork belt ornaments. See Rawson 1995, p.337, cat.no.25.13. The oval openwork convex plaque carved in high relief depicts a phoenix with flowing tail feathers and outstretched wings frolicking among flowering plants. Four diagonal perforations forming two channels are on the rim of the underside of the plaque. Jin. Width 54mm.
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