A gold reticulated 'boys' leaf-shaped pendant (Peizhui), Song dynasty
Lot 173. A gold reticulated 'boys' leaf-shaped pendant (Peizhui), Song dynasty. Length 10.2 cm; 18k gold, weight 24.56 grams, metal stand (2). Lot Sold 38,400 USD (Estimate 30,000 - 50,000 USD) © Sotheby's 2026
In overall good condition with some expected light wear.
Note: As a key component of the Song dynasty bridal tradition, sanjin (Three Golds), peizhui refers to a specific type of pendant, often made in gold or silver, attached to the lower edge of a woman’s xiapei (ceremonial stole). Functioning as both a garment weight and a marker of ritual propriety, most surviving examples of peizhui adopt a leaf-shaped form constructed from two joined precious metal sheets and are decorated in openwork with various auspicious motifs. Compare a gold pendant of a very similar form, decorated with phoenix amid flowers, excavated in 1980 from a Song dynasty tomb south of the Mufu Mountain in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, now preserved in the Nanjing Museum, published in 'Nanjing mufushan songmu qingli jianbao [Brief excavation report of the Song tomb in Najing Mufu Mountain]', Wenwu, no. 3, Beijing, 1982, col. pl. 3, fig. 1.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art, New York, 25 March 2026
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