Object: Pendant in the form of a bird S1987.846

Description: The bird is presented in profile. The small crested head, large body and foot, and long, raised tail appear disproportionate. The lines indicating the wings and tail also suggest a lack of sensitivity to the overall scale of the piece. Perhaps the present composition is a re-cutting of a large original version. Circular perforations appear on the chest and tail of the bird. (Calcified; few very small areas of surface abrasion.)

Past label text: In Praise of Ancestors, September 28, 1987–January 5, 1989; by Thomas Lawton (shown with S1987.590, S1987.580, S1987.704, S1987.560, S1987.547, S1987.863, S1987.620, S1987.536, S1987.870, S1987.531, S1987.530, S1987.679, S1987.623, S1987.862, S1987.525, S1987.873, S1987.872, S1987.869, and S1987.544; additional bronzes shown in same case)
Pendant (Pei 珮)
11th–10th centuries BCE
Western Zhou 周 dynasty
China
Jade

Curatorial Remarks

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

2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 15, 2010) Title changed from "Pendant (pei 珮): bird" to "Pendant in the form of a bird"; Object name from "Pendant: bird" to "Jewelry."
3. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 20, 2019) Title changed from "Pendant (pei) in the form of a bird" to "Pendant in the form of a bird"; Date changed from "11th-10th century BCE" to "ca. 1050-ca. 950 BCE"; Medium changed from "Jade (nephrite)" to "Jade"; added Chinese caption by Jingmin Zhang; added Label Text from the exhibition, In Praise of Ancestors, and added the following to the Description field, "The bird is presented in profile. The small crested head, large body and foot, and long, raised tail appear disproportionate. The lines indicating the wings and tail also suggest a lack of sensitivity to the overall scale of the piece. Perhaps the present composition is a re-cutting of a large original version. Circular perforations appear on the chest and tail of the bird. (Calcified; few very small areas of surface abrasion.)"
Object name changed from "Pendant" to "Jewelry."

Published References

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Pendant in the form of a bird