1. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Jade handles of this general type were found in the Shang 商 dynasty tomb, Tomb 5, at Anyang 安陽, Henan 河南 province in 1976. See Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中國社會科學院考古研究所, Yinxu Fu Hao mu 殷墟婦好墓 (Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe, 1980), pls. 158--59.
2. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 17, 2008) Ceremonial object added as secondary classification.
3. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, April 20, 2010) Object name changed from "Handle" to "Ceremonial object." Title changed from "Handle (bing 柄)" to "Ancestor tablet (bing 柄)."
4. (Daisy Yiyou Wang 王依悠, June 4, 2012) Janet Douglas and I examined and discussed about this piece together in storage. The jade is of a pale greyish green color with layers of deeper green on the sides. Compared to other similar examples, the carving seems unusually crisp and the edges, particularly the pointed tips of the leaf shaped design, are very sharp. We have doubts about the authenticity of this piece.
5. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 3, 2017) Title changed from "Ancestor tablet (bing)" to "Ancestor tablet"; Period one changed from "Shang dynasty" to "Middle Shang dynasty"; date changed from "ca. 13th-11th century BCE" to "ca. 1400-1300 BCE"; medium changed from "Jade" to "Jade (nephrite)"; object name changed from "Ceremonial object" to "Tablet".
6. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, December 12, 2018) Added Translation by Jingmin Zhang; added the following to the description field, "Six tiers of leaves or scales rise up each side of the jade handle. Each tier is separated from the one adjacent to it by a narrow vertical band running up the center of each side. The tip of the handle is an inverted truncated pyramid. The tectiform bar at the top of the handle is ground to a thin edge. Two horizontal raised thread-bands decorate the concave space between the tectiform bar and the tiers of leaves. (Crack/separation on end, reverse; calcification clouding.)"; and added label text by Thomas Lawton.
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..
International Image Interoperability Framework