Jades for Life and Death

Classification: Jewelry and Ornament

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

Object Date: ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 9.9 x 3.2 x 2.2 cm (3 7/8 x 1 1/4 x 7/8 in)

Origin: China, probably Henan province, Anyang

Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Accession Number: S1987.837

: 獸面紋飾
晚商安陽時期（公元前1300-1050年）
中國，疑似河南安陽市
軟玉
高9.9、寬3.2、厚2.2釐米
亞瑟·M·賽克勒贈送
器物編號: S1987.837

Description: A grayish green jade archer's bow end with black markings. The upper part has the form of a feline head with capped horns. The spirals behind it and a line parallel to and below the mouth occur on one side only, presumably because the other side was hidden by the bow. There is a perforation behind the eyes. (Surface veins and pits; flaws; clouding; soil adheres behind ears.)

Past label text: 1. In Praise of Ancestors, September 28, 1987–January 5, 1989; by Thomas Lawton (shown with shown with S1987.888, S1987.513, S1987.865, S1987.622, S1987.874, S1987.880, and S1987.550; additional pendants shown in same case)

This jade, which resembles a tooth or tusk, is usually identified by Chinese specialists as a xi 觹, which is believed to have been worn at the girdle and used to untie knots.

Curatorial Remarks

1. (Thomas Lawton, 1987) Exhibition In Praise of Ancestors label text; moved to label text field.

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

3. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, July 8, 2010) Object name changed from "Pendant" to "Jewelry."

4. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, May 10, 2018) Title changed from "Pendant (xi)" to "Pendant with mask"; 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. 2nd Millennium BCE" to "ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE"; medium changed from "jade" to "jade (nephrite); object name changed from "jewelry" to "pendant"; added Chinese object caption by Jingmin Zhang; added the following to the description field, "A grayish green jade archer's bow end with black markings. The upper part has the form of a feline head with capped horns. The spirals behind it and a line parallel to and below the mouth occur on one side only, presumably because the other side was hidden by the bow. There is a perforation behind the eyes. (Surface veins and pits; flaws; clouding; soil adheres behind ears.)"; and added past label text by Thomas Lawton.

Published References

et al. Asian Art in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: The Inaugural Gift. Washington, 1987. cat. 41, p. 85.
J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .

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Pendant with mask

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