AN IMPORTANT PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF AN OWL, LATE SHANG DYNASTY

拍品描述

AN IMPORTANT PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF AN OWL, LATE SHANG DYNASTY China, c. 13th-11th century BC. Finely carved in the round, the avian creature depicted crouching on its feet and tail, its body richly decorated with scrolling motifs that extend across a pair of wings folded neatly against the sides, while the spine is accentuated by a raised serrated ridge continuing onto the tail. The head is held erect, with a pair of eyes delicately incised on the upper surface, a sharply hooked beak, and a notched crest; both the beak and crest are pierced with a small perforation for suspension. The finely polished, semi-translucent stone is of a pale celadon tone variegated with light brown inclusions, russet veining and mottling, as well as opaque creamy-white areas of natural mineral accretions. Dimensions: Height 6.3 cm Depictions of owls occupy a prominent place in the artistic repertoire of the Shang dynasty. Revered since the Neolithic period, when the earliest jade representations of the bird were crafted, the owl was admired for its nocturnal and binocular vision, acute binaural hearing, and formidable hunting abilities. Its piercing, uncanny call also aligned with Shang conceptions of the supernatural, ritual, and magical, suggesting that the bird held an important place within their religious and symbolic worldview. The owl has also been associated with the mythical origins of the Shang people. Some scholars have suggested that the Xuanniao (Black Bird), traditionally regarded as the progenitor of the Shang people, was in fact an owl. Alternatively, Sun Xinzhou has argued that the mythical ancestor Di Jun (also known as Di Ku or Shun) may be identified with an owl deity associated with the protection of agriculture. See Sun Xinzhou, Chixiao chongbai huaxia lishi wenming [On Strigidae Worship and Historical Civilization in China], Journal of Tianjin Normal University (Social Sciences), no. 5, 2004, p. 31–37. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 22 March 2023, lot 641 Price: USD 76,200 or approx. EUR 74,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and decorative style characteristic of the period. Note the similar size and that the lot also originates from the David Taylor collection of archaic jades (4.8 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 September 2021, lot 138 Price: USD 44,062 or approx. EUR 47,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and decorative style. Note the similar size (5.3 cm).

图片