1. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, April 20, 2010) Object Name changed from "Pendant: bird" to "Ceremonial object"; Title changed from "Bird handle" to "Ancestor tablet"; secondary classification changed from "Jewelry and ornament" to "Ceremonial object.
2. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 9, 2017) Object name changed from "Ceremonial object' to "Tablet"; period one changed from "Shang dynasty" to "Late Shang dynasty"; period two added "Anyang period"; geography changed from "China" to "China, probably Henan province, Anyang"; date changed from "ca. 1300-1000 B.C." to "ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE"; medium changed from "jade" to "jade (nephrite)".
3. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, December 12, 2018) Title changed from "Ancestor tablet" to "Ancestor tablet with bird"; added Chinese Translation by Jingmin Zhang; added the following to the description field, "Handle (blade?) surmounted by profile owl; raised linear details; pierced; semitranslucent green-tan. (Spotty calcification; old break across bottom; few minor chips.)"
Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections..