Object: Finial in the form of a bird S1987.667

Classification: Jewelry and Ornament

Historical period(s): Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-1050 BCE

Object Date: ca. 1300-1050 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 4.7 x 3.5 x 0.9 cm (1 7/8 x 1 3/8 x 3/8 in)

Origin: China, Probably Henan province, Anyang

Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Accession Number: S1987.667

: 鳥形飾（二次加工）
晚商安陽時期（公元前1300-1050年）
中國，疑似河南安陽市
軟玉
高4.7、寬3.5、厚0.9釐米
亞瑟·M·賽克勒贈送
器物編號：S1987.667

Provenance: By 1949 to 1953
C. T. Loo, INC., New York, NY [1]

1953 to 1961
C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC. [2]

1962 to 1964
Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo Chinese Art [3]

1964 to 1987
Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased in New York City from Frank Caro Chinese Art on August 27, 1964 [3]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [4]

Notes:

[1] Object published in C. T. Loo, INC. Chinese Archaic Jades, arranged for Norton Gallery of Art exh. cat. (Norton Gallery of Art, January 20 to March 1, 1950), plate XXXIII, no. 1.

[2] On September 1, 1952, C. T. Loo’s associate, Frank Caro (1904-1980) took over daily operations of the New York business. C. T. Loo, INC. was dissolved by the summer of 1953 and Caro operated as C. T. Loo Chinese Art. Loo continued to play a large role in the business, as he and Caro struck a deal in which profits made on Loo’s stock would be evenly divided and Loo would maintain the lease and rental payments on the company’s gallery space. Caro assigned new inventory numbers to C. T. Loo & Company’s stock, assigning numbers with an “E” prefix. This object was included in that inventory process (see note 3).

[3] In 1961, Loo and Caro’s agreement ended. C. T. Loo & Cie., Paris, France took control of C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York’s stock that C. T. Loo had added to the inventory before his death in 1957. Frank Caro then opened Frank Caro Chinese Art. Caro acquired pieces from Loo’s original stock (the mode of acquisition is unknown). Frank Caro Chinese Art stock no. E 5701, “Greenish jade pendent. (Jade Cat. Pl 33 #1), see invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art to Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964, copy in object file.

[4] See Frank Caro's invoice cited in note 3.

[5] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

Previous owner(s): C.T. Loo, INC. (ca. 1948-no later than July 1953)
C.T. Loo Chinese Art (1953-1961)
Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

Curatorial Remarks

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

2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, May 3, 2010) Title changed from "Pendant (pei 珮): bird" to "Bird shaped pendant"; Object name from "Pendant: bird" to "Jewelry." Date changed from 1200 1100 BCE to 11th-10th century BCE.

3. (Jeffrey Smith per Janet Douglas, June 17, 2010) Nephrite added as modifier to existing medium of "jade" based on conservation analysis.
4. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, September 13, 2019) Period and dates changed from "Western Zhou dynasty, 11th-10th century BCE."

Published References

C.T. Loo & Company, (Introduction) Lindsay Hughes Cooper. An Exhibition of Archaic Chinese Jades. Exh. cat. New York. pl. 33, 1.
J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .

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Finial in the form of a bird

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