Page 8 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

THE PROPERTY OF A HONG KONG PRIVATE COLLECTOR 商晚期 青玉鴞形飾件

3202 來源
香港私人珍藏，入藏於 1993 年
AN IMPORTANT AND RARE CELADON JADE
CARVING OF AN OWL 青玉圓雕，鴞作站立狀，鉤喙，圓眼，兩 C 字形角上豎，通體飾陽線幾
何紋飾及鱗紋。體下中間鑽有一圓孔，頭後部有上下鑽通的兩斜孔。
LATE SHANG DYNASTY, 13TH-11TH CENTURY BC
鴞是商代藝術中重要且罕見的主題。商人用玉、大理石、青銅等材質來
The jade is finely carved in the round depicting an owl standing 表現圓雕的鴟鴞形象。鴞亦作為一些重要青銅器上的裝飾紋樣。河南省
on its feet and tail. The back of the head is pierced at angle with 新鄉博物館藏有一件與本拍品十分相近的商代玉鴞，載於古方主編 2010
two holes connecting to each other and the underside with a drill 年北京出版《中國傳世玉器全集》，第 1 冊，120 頁（圖一）。
hole. 相似傳世例亦可見原屬 S. H. Minkenhof 舊藏，載於 H.F.E. Visser 於
1 ¬ in. (4.1 cm.) high, box 1952 年紐約出版的《Asiatic Art in Private Collections of Holland and
Belgium》，圖版 60 號。在商代晚期首都安陽的考古中亦發現數件玉鴞。
HK$1,800,000-3,000,000 US$240,000-390,000 殷墟婦好墓出土有一件玉鴞，尺寸較本拍品稍大（6.5 公分高）且耳為
圓形，載於《中國玉器全集：商 . 西周》，第 2 冊，河北，1993 年，65
PROVENANCE 頁，編號 82。該件玉鴞底部亦鑽有一孔，頭後部也有兩孔互通。考古學
家鄭振香指出，這件鴞既可懸掛又可插嵌飾品。（見前揭書 247 頁，編
Acquired in Hong Kong in 1993 號 82）婦好墓還出有其它幾件圓雕的玉鴞，如一件青玉素面鴞，載於
1981 年北京出版的《殷墟玉器》，圖 66（402）；兩件滿工的玉鴞，載
The owl is an important and rare motif in Shang dynasty art. It was 於前揭書圖 54 及 56（465）；一件羊角玉鴞，見前揭書圖 55 (508)；以
depicted in round sculptural forms in various media such as jade, 及一件虎頭玉鴞，見前揭書圖 56 (990)。值得注意的是殷墟西北崗王陵
marble, and bronze. It was also employed as surface decoration on 區 1001 號大墓出有一件大理石鴞形立雕，載於台北 1998 年出版的《來
a small group of important bronzes. A very similar jade owl-form 自碧落與黃泉》，32 頁，編號 15，足見鴟鴞在商人心目中的崇高地位。
pendant is in the Xinxiang Museum, Henan province, illustrated in 以器形和頭上兩個 C 字形角來說，此件玉鴞和婦好青銅鴞尊十分接近，
Zhongguo chuanshi yuqi quanji (Compendium of Handed-down Jades 見《中國青銅器全集：商（三）》，第 3 卷，北京，1997 年，114 頁，
in China), vol. 1, p. 120 (fig. 1). Another similar example with spiral- 編號 113。
shaped eyes in the S. H. Minkenhof Collection is illustrated by H.F.E.
Visser, Asiatic Art in Private Collections of Holland and Belgium, New
York, 1952, pl. 60.

There are a number of examples found in archaeological sites of the
late Shang capital Anyang. A closely related jade owl of larger size (6.5
cm. high) and with a pair of rounded ears was found in Fuhao’s tomb
in Anyang, illustrated in ‘Shang.Western Zhou’, Zhongguo yuqi quanji
(Compendium of Chinese Jade), vol. 2, Hebei, 1993, p. 65, no. 82. The
Fuhao jade owl also has a drill hole on the underside and two holes
on the back of the head. Archaeologist Zheng Zhenxiang suggests
that it could have been used as a pendant or a mount. (see ibid., p.
247, no. 82) Several other owl-form jade carvings were found in the
Fuhao tomb, such as a celadon jade owl with plain surface illustrated
in Jades from the Yin Sites at Anyang, Beijing, 1981, fig. 66 (402); two
fully-embellished examples illustrated in ibid., figs. 54 and 56 (465);
one with ram’s horns illustrated in ibid., fig. 55 (508); and one with a
tiger’s head illustrated in ibid., fig. 56 (990). It is important to note that
a large marble carving of an owl (34 cm. high) was found in Tomb 1001
in the Shang Kings’ burial ground in the Xibeigang, Anyang, illustrated
in A Harvest of New Scholarship, Taipei, 1998, p. 32, no. 15. In the form,
particularly the pair of distinctive C-shaped horns, the present jade
owl is reminiscent of a pair of large bronze owl-form zun vessels (46.3
cm. high) from Fuhao’s tomb; one of which is illustrated in Zhongguo
qingtongqi quanji: Shang (3) (Compendium of Chinese Bronzes: Shang
Dynasty), vol. 3, Beijing, 1997, p. 114, no. 113.

fig. 1 Collection of the Xinxiang Museum, Henan Province
圖一 河南省新鄉博物館藏品

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