Page 13 - Christie's, NYC Important Chinese Works Of Art Sept. 22-23, 2022

CHINESE JADES FROM THE COLLECTION OF T. EUGENE WORRELL
704
A VERY RARE GREYISH-GREEN JADE BIRD-FORM FINIAL/ T. EUGENE WORRELL珍藏中國玉器
INSIGNIA
LATE SHANG-EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 12TH-11TH 商晚期至西周早期 公元前十二至十一世紀 灰青玉鳥形飾
CENTURY BC 來源:
The pendant is carved in the round as a bird with folded wings, seen in profile Mathias Komor (1909-1984), 紐約, 1949年3月
with a short hooked beak and upturned crest bifurcated by a notch. The details Myron S. (1906-1992)及Pauline Baerwald Falk (1910-2000)伉儷珍藏, 紐約,
of the head, wings and tail are delineated by double grooves. The lower body 編號501
tapers towards the bottom tab which is pierced from both sides. The stone is
of an even greyish-green tone with minimal opaque white mottling. Falk伉儷珍藏(一), 紐約佳士得, 2001年10月16日, 拍品編號195
3 in. (7.7 cm.) long, metal stand 展覽:
紐約, 美國中國藝術協會, 「Small Sculpture: Shang Through Sung
$80,000-120,000 Dynasties」, 1954年2月19日-4月17日
借展: 紐約, 大都會藝術博物館, 1965年, 編號L.65.46.6
PROVENANCE:
Mathias Komor (1909-1984), New York, March 1949. 紐約, 華美協進社, 「Art Styles of the Ancient Shang from Private and
Myron S. (1906-1992) and Pauline Baerwald Falk (1910-2000) Collection, New Museum Collections」, 1967年4月5日-6月11日
York, no. 501. 夏洛茨維爾, Worrell家族藝廊, 2001-2022年
The Falk Collection I; Christie's New York, 16 October 2001, lot 195. 出版:
EXHIBITED: 美國中國藝術協會, 《Small Sculpture: Shang Through Sung Dynasties》, 紐
New York, Chinese Art Society of America, Small Sculpture: Shang Through 約, 1954年, 編號5
Sung Dynasties, 19 February – 17 April 1954. 華美協進社, 《Art Styles of the Ancient Shang from Private and Museum
On loan: New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1965, no. L.65.46.6. Collections》, 紐約, 1967年, 頁34, 編號59
New York, China Institute in America, Art Styles of the Ancient Shang from
Private and Museum Collections, 5 April – 11 June 1967.
Charlottesville, Worrell Family Offices Gallery, 2001-2022.
LITERATURE:
Chinese Art Society of America, Small Sculpture: Shang Through Sung
Dynasties, New York, 1954, no. 5.
China Institute in America, Art Styles of the Ancient Shang from Private and
Museum Collections, New York, 1967, p. 34, no. 59.

This well-carved jade bird-form finial or insignia is unusual in its thickness.
Like other bird pendants of the late Shang period, it has a short hooked beak,
prominent chest and bent legs. The crest on the head sweeps back and then
up at the tip, in contrast to that on a related green jade bird pendant of slightly
smaller size excavated in 1976 from the Tomb of Fu Hao, Yinxu, Anyang,
Henan province, with upright and notched in the center. See Yeung Kin-Fong,
Zhongguo chutu guyu, vol. 1, Chinese University Press, Hong Kong, 1987, pl.
XIII:4, and p. 237. On this latter figure the details of the wings appear to be
in linear relief, rather than delineated in fine double grooves as on the current
carving. Another related, but more simply carved bird pendant of yellowish-
green color excavated in 1980 in Shaanxi province, which also appears to be
quite thick, is illustrated in Zhongguo meishu yuqi, vol. 2, Hebei, 1993, p. 118, pl.
165. Both of these examples have a concave back, while another thick jade bird
pendant in the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung, illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese
Jades from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 218, no. 12:14, has the
wings and tail projecting from the back of the figure.
One of the interesting features of the current bird carving is how accentuated the
concave curve of the back is. When held in the hand, the bird's head is enclosed in
the palm, and the thumb fits very comfortably in the curve of the back.
(another view)

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