nephrite

Jade Mountain, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 19th century. Jade (nephrite), 12.5 x 4 x 8 ins, Crow Collection of Asian Art, 1987.17. © 2018 Crow Museum of Asian Art & Crow Family Foundation. DALLAS, TX.- Mountains lie at the heart of Chinese culture and art. A bridge between the human and transcendental realms, they have provided an enduring source of inspiration for poets, scholars, and artists, and continue to remain an important theme within China’s various artistic traditions. The idea of the scholar-official or... [Lire la suite]

The Metropolitan Meiping: A Rare Sgraffito Cizhou Vase, Meiping, Jin-Yuan Dynasty, 12-13th century. Height: 15 3/8 inches © Michael C. Hughes LLC An Imperial Blue and White Two-Handled Bombe Censer, Ming Dynasty, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566). Approx. 9 inches across handles. © Michael C. Hughes LLC Painted on each side with confronted five-clawed dragons contesting a central flaming pearl above breaking waves and rockwork, the spreading foot with scrolling... [Lire la suite]

Dragon-shaped pendant ornament (pei), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 1/2 in x W. 3 3/8 in x D. 3/16 in, H. 1.3 cm x W. 8.6 cm x D. .5 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J664 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. The suspension hole for this long slender dragon-shaped pei is drilled directly in the center of the body, providing balance for the continuation of the parts of the pendant that were suspended from each end. The central abdomen rises in a... [Lire la suite]

Dragon-shaped pendant (xi), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 1 3/4 in x L. 6 1/8 in x D. 3/16 in, H. 4.4 cm x L. 15.6 cm x D. .5 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J663 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. The xi is normally a dragon with a pointed end thought to be the bottom-most piece in the pendant assemblies of the late Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Although described as a xi by most experts, this piece may instead... [Lire la suite]

Pendant of stylized birds (xian), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 15/16 in x W. 1 11/16 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J639 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Similar to the piece described above (#40), this piece features bird decoration; in this case a pair of bird heads attached to a flattened oval ring. The holes cut under the beaks of the bird and one on the side indicate that this piece functioned as part of a pendant. The central hole is outlined... [Lire la suite]

Belt hook (daigou), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 2 1/4 in x W. 1 1/8 in x D. 3/8 in, H. 5.7 cm x W. 2.9 cm x D. .95 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J630 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Recent excavations indicate that from at least the late Shang dynasty the Chinese wore loose fitting gowns that folded over in the front and were secured by a belt. The belts themselves could be quite broad and, in some cases, were held in place by a narrower piece... [Lire la suite]

Sword pommel, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. Diam. 1 15/16 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J621 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. This sword pommel has a slightly beveled ridge around its outer edge. A field of raised comma spirals defined by incised lines fills the exterior region, and the grid used by the carver to arrange the whorls is slightly visible. This "sprouting grain" pattern is the culmination of the development of textured surfaces that... [Lire la suite]

Pendant with dragon, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 3 1/2 in x W. 9 3/4 in x D. 1/4 in, H. 8.89 cm x W. 24.77 cm x D. .64 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J549 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Exhibition History: "Stones of Eternity: Chinese Jades from the Asian Art Museum", Tooley & Company, The Hibernia Bank Building (201 California Street, San Francisco), 2/10/1986 - 2/1987"Magic, Art and Order: Jade in Chinese Culture", Palm Springs... [Lire la suite]

                      Bead (guan), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 2 1/2 in x Diam. 1 5/8 in, H. 6.3 cm x Diam. 4.1 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J589 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Long tubular beads of this sort were a key part of the pendant ensembles worn by high ranking officials during the late Warring States and on into the Han dynasty. Worn vertically, they provided... [Lire la suite]

Ring, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. Diam. 1 7/16 in x D. 1/8 in, Diam. 3.65 cm x D. .32 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J569 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.