Finial in the form of a bird

1. Bought from C. T. Loo and Company, New York. For price, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920.
 
2. (John Ellerton Lodge, 1941) According to the dealer, this ornament was found at Anyang 安陽: quite possibly it was. In any case,  the hard water deposit with which it is more or less incrusted, especially on one side, is a fair indication that  it was buried. The perforated tang suggests that this bird was originally mounted much as it is mounted now, with the addition, no doubt, of a pin passing through the perforation and thus holding the bird firmly in position, though for what purpose I do not know. Crested birds of this general type are not uncommon among early jades  and bronzes, and they seem to have been regarded as important symbols during a considerable period. Compare, for  example, our jade pendant F1939.6, the base and handles of F1938.20, and the handles of F1931.10.
 
3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.892.
 
4. (William B. Trousdale, 1964) Shang 商 dynasty. The general type is well-attested from the Shang 商 period. The  thread line carving is of less fine quality than that on another Shang 商 marble carving (F1948.23), being here formed  essentially by parallel incised lines rather than standing in relief. 
 
5. (Janet Douglas, July 19, 1999) Testing has revealed that the material is nephrite. The classification is changed  from "Stone" to "Jade: Nephrite."
 
6. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 1, 2008) Jewelry added as secondary classification.
 
7. (Stephen Allee per Keith Wilson, August 31, 2009) As per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, changed Date from " 12th--11th century BCE" to "ca. 1400--ca. 1050 BCE." Jenny F. So gives title as "Large standing bird fitting," but  as per Keith Wilson, changed Title from "Terminal ornament" to "Pendant: Standing bird"; and changed Object Name from "Pendant: bird" to "Jewelry." Identification of Medium confirmed as "jade (nephrite)" as per Janet  Douglas, July 1999, using x ray diffraction. As per Christine Lee, Jade Project Database, changed Dimensions from "H x W x D: 11.7 x 8.1 x 1.2 cm (4 5/8 x 3 3/16 x 1/2 in)" to "H x W x D: 11.82 x 8.20 x 1.20 cm (4 5/8 x 3 1/4 x 1/2 in)."
 
8. (Rebecca Merritt, January 8, 2014) Transferred from Published References:
Kaogu yanjiusuo ziliaoshi 考古研究所資料室, "Jielu Meidi yiguan jieduo woguo wenwu de zuixing 揭露美帝一貫劫奪我國文物的罪行,"  Kaogu 考古 1960.4, p. 7, fig. 1.

9. (Jeffrey Smith, per Keith Wilson, September 11, 2019) Date changed from "ca. 1400-ca. 1050 BCE" to "Forgery in the style of the late Shang dynasty, Anyang period (ca. 1300-1050 BCE) 20th century. Title changed from "Pendant: Standing bird" to "Finial in the form of a bird."

10. (Najiba Choudhury, February 4, 2020) Object name changed from "Finial" to "Ceremonial object".