Jade. China, Late Shang dynasty, 13th - 11th century BC 玉鷹 - 商代晚期, 公元前13世紀-前11世紀 This interesting ornament of a bird of prey with outstretched wings, likely a hawk, is decorated on both sides with a similar symmetrical pattern of double- and singleincised lines and curls. The bird is seen frontally, except for the head and pointed beak that are in profile. The edges of the wings are notched, while the rest of the contour is smooth. The beak is pierced with a hole for suspension near the eye, which is marked with a small circle: two lower holes, placed on either side of the plumed tail, give the sensation of additional feathers that extend from the bird’s body. The ornament is polished and smooth, even where it is covered by a white patina that extends across the majority of its surface. The slightly convex surface of the object makes it somewhat sculptural. All the incisions and perforations are encrusted with the remains of soil. The patterns incised on this ornament are reminiscent of the style employed on jades of the late Neolithic Shijiahe (c.2500-200 BC) and Longshan (c.4500-2500 BC) cultures. However, the closest comparable example to this carving is a similar hawkshaped pendant excavated in 1976 from tomb no.5 at Anyang, Henan province: the tomb has been identified as that of Fu Hao, one of the consorts of King Wu Ding of the late Shang dynasty (c.1250 BC). The excavated jade is taller, 6.2 cm, and has two different patterns engraved at the centre of both sides: the rest is identical to the one presented here. The Fu Hao ornament is published in Wen Fong (ed.), The Great Bronze Age of China. An Exhibition from the People’s Republic of China, New York 1980, colour plate 34, p.167, with rubbings of the two sides on p.187. In Chinesepublications, see Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Yinxu yuqi殷墟玉器 (Jades from Yinxu), Wenwu Chubanshe, Beijing 1981, no.45; Yang Boda (ed.), Zhongguo yuqi quanji: 2, Chunqiu Zhanguo 中国玉器全集/2/商, 西周 (Chinese Jades: 2, Shang and Western Zhou), Hebei 1993, no.83; and Gu Fang, Zhongguo gu yuqi tu dian 中國古玉器圖典 (The pictorial handbook of ancient Chinese jades), Beijing 2007, p.128. Provenance: From an old Austrian collection HEIGHT 4.5 CM - WIDTH 6 CM 高 4.5 厘米 - 寬 6 厘米 Expertise: Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and dated by Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.