Page 104 - Bonhams Hong King May 30 2017 THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES

58 A combination of a strong overall naturalistic design and skilfull carving
A RARE YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF AN EAGLE technique, as demonstrated in the present lot, is characteristic of Song
Song Dynasty dynasty jades. Particularly notable is the clever incorporation of the
Well carved with its head looking forward with the beak slightly russet tone into the design, accentuating the naturalistic modelling of
inclined to its right, the well-defined body set with the intricately carved the bird.
wings held close and the tail outstretched, the feet tucked tightly
underneath, the smoothly polished stone of a warm yellow tone with a This type of bird carving is related and likely inspired by the jade
concentrated area of attractive russet at the top. turtledove staff pommels of the Han dynasty, for an example in the
6.8cm (2 5/8in) long National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Art in Quest of Heaven and
Truth: Chinese Jades through the Ages, 2012, no.3-3-6. For a Song
HK$300,000 - 400,000 dynasty example, compare the execution of the deftly carved wings on
US$39,000 - 51,000 a pale green jade bird, formerly in the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection,
illustrated by J.C.Y.Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing,
Provenance: New York, 1980, p.94, pl.78; see also a related example of a yellow
Acquired in Hong Kong in 2010 jade bird with brown markings, from the collection of Mr and Mrs
The Songzhutang collection, no.79 B.H.Tisdall, illustrated in ibid., p.96, pl.81.

Published and Illustrated:
T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade,
Hong Kong, 2011, pl.79

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