Page 58 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Scholars Art Of China

2720
A PALE CELADON JADE CARVING 商 玉鳥
OF A BIRD 來源
SHANG DYNASTY, C. 1600-1046 BC 藍田山房舊藏，1992年購於台北
The jade is carved as a bird, possibly a mallard, swimming in
profile with a pronounced bifurcated crest and a bifurcated tail. 這件玉鳥，鈎喙圓眼，全身紋飾以雙勾陰線為之，頭頂左右外撇的羽
Both sides are finely incised with double-line details. The stone is 冠，與婦好墓出土部分玉鳥的特徵相同（圖一）。而造型做「乙」形
of a pale celadon tone with areas of opaque alteration. 游水狀，與「鳧」字的造型和釋意吻合；鳧，為鳥綱雁形目，俗稱「
2 ……/”ÿ in. (6.7 cm.) wide, box 野鴨」，翼長能飛，常棲居於湖沼，形態和生活習性與大雁近似。在目
前所見高古鳥形玉器中，以神格化和尊貴化的象徵為主，造型多為直立
HK$100,000-150,000 US$13,000-19,000 或飛翔、展翅狀，而此件玉鳥以較為「生態化」的游水狀造型呈現，十
分難得。
PROVENANCE
Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1992
The bifurcated crest seen on the current carving is closely related to
that found on jade carvings of birds excavated from the tomb of Fuhao,
such as a bird-shaped knife and a carving of an owl illustrated in The
Jades from Yinxu, Beijing, 1981, no. 31 (955), and no. 49 (368) (fig. 1),
respectively, and a further carving of an owl illustrated in Yinxu Fuhao
mu (The Jades from the tomb of Fu Hao at Yinxu), Beijing, 1980, no.
4 (472). Most of the extant jade carvings of birds from this period are
shown either standing or with spread wings, it is very rare to find one
shown swimming and in depicted in such a naturalistic manner.

fig. 1 Line drawings of jade bird pendant,
excavated from the tomb of Fuhao
圖一 婦好墓出土玉鳥之線描圖

56