Object: Pendant in the form of a fish, probably reworked from a collared disk S1987.633

Classification: Jewelry and Ornament

Historical period(s): Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE

Object Date: ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 5.8 × 1.4 × 2.2 cm (2 5/16 × 9/16 × 7/8 in)

Origin: China, probably Henan province, Anyang

Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Accession Number: S1987.633

: 魚形飾，似由凸緣鐲或有領璧後期加工而成
晚商安陽時期（公元前1250-1050年）
中國，疑似河南安陽市
軟玉
高1.4、寬5.8、厚2.2釐米
亞瑟·M·賽克勒贈送
器物編號：S1987.633

Description: Pendant, fish, curved sideways; few carved details; opaque tan. (Calcified.)

Past label text: 1. In Praise of Ancestors, September 28, 1987–January 5, 1989; by Thomas Lawton (shown with S1987.556, S1987.549, S1987.632, S1987.634, S1987.843, S1987.477, S1987.555, S1987.573, S1987.472, S1987.475, and S1987.461)

Fish Pendant (Yu Pei 魚珮)
11th century BCE
Shang 商–Western Zhou 周 dynasties
China
Jade

2. (Keith Wilson, Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

Fitting in the form of a bird; Pendants: Dragon and Fish
Anyang period, ca. 1250–1050 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler S1987.841, S1987.874, and S1987.633

Pair of fish pendants
Anyang period, ca. 1250–1050 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment F1979.26–27

Disk, Bracelet, Miniature dagger-axe, and Axe pendant
Anyang period, ca. 1250–1050 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler S2012.9.228, S2012.9.230, S2012.9.275, and S2012.9.269

Round axe
Anyang period, ca. 1250–1050 BCE
Jade (nephrite)
Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer F1970.39

Objects Made for Reuse?
The dimensions, shape, and formal details of many Anyang jades indicate they were made from collared disks of the same time and place. Some were cut from segments of the disk while others exploited the central collar or the junction of the vertical and horizontal planes to create more interesting forms like projecting fins on a fish. The frequency and variety of this practice suggests collared disks may have been intended for reuse, functioning almost like an industrial blank. If true, this reflects a two-stage production process that valued speed, conservation of valuable material, and an interest in standardizing forms and scale.

Curatorial Remarks

1. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 1, 2008) Jewelry added as secondary classification.

2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 23, 2010) Object name changed from "Pendant: fish" to "Jewelry." Title changed from "Pendant (yu pei 魚珮): fish" to "Pendant (pei 珮) in the form of a fish."

3. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, May 4, 2018) Title changed from "Pendant (yu pei) in the form of a fish" to "Pendant in the form of a fish, probably reworked from a flanged bracelet or collared disk"; object name changed from "jewelry" to "pendant"; period one changed from "Shang or Western Zhou dynasty" to "Late Shang dynasty"; period two added "Anyang period"; date changed from "11th century BCE" to "ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE"; geography changed from "China" to "China, probably Henan province, Anyang"; medium changed from "jade" to "jade (nephrite)"; added Chinese object caption by Jingmin Zhang; and added the following to the description field, "Pendant, fish, curved sideways; few carved details; opaque tan. (Calcified.)"
4. (YinYing Chen per Keith Wilson, February 22, 2023)
Change title from "Pendant in the form of a fish, probably reworked from a flanged bracelet or collared disk" to "Pendant in the form of a fish, probably reworked from a collared disk."
Change date from "ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE" to "ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE."
Change date from "公元前1300-1050年" to "公元前1250-1050年" in the translation field.

Published References

J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .

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Pendant in the form of a fish, probably reworked from a collared disk

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