A Pair Of Jade 'Bird' Pendants. Western Zhou Dynasty

each carved as a stylised bird with incised plumage, pierced for suspension, the stone of celadon tone with light caramel inclusions. 9.2cm., 3 5/8 in. Estimate 8,000—12,000 GBP

NOTE: Birds with long, downward-turning tails, embellished with incised lines and a crest became widespread in the Western Zhou period, and the elongated form of the present pair make it a particularly fine and elegant example. It is interesting to note that during this time, the angle of the bird's tail was altered so that it lay horizontal thus making it closely resemble a fish's tail.

Compare related examples in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1994, pls 12:29-12:30, and p. 227, fig. 1; another in the Piao-te-hsuan collection, included in the Collector's Exhibition of Archaic Chinese Jades, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, cat. no. 28; and a shorter version in the Seattle Art Museum, published in Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, pl. 12. A carving of this type was sold in our New York rooms, 6^th December 1989, lot 3; another example was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10^th June 1979, lot 1064; and a third was sold at Christie's New York, 24^th March 2004, lot 97

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. 05 Nov 08. London. Photo courtesy Sotheby's. www.sothebys.com