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A flat jade pendant of a woman that is rectangular in shape and has been carved with fine lines to outline a wrapped robe, belt, a swirling shape by her feet, her face, and her hair which goes behind her head.

A flat jade pendant of a woman that is rectangular in shape and yellow and orange in color. It is shown laying flat vertically on a black background. Ithas been carved with fine lines to outline a wrapped robe, belt, a swirling shape by her feet, her face, and her hair which goes behind her head. Her sleeves come together in front of her stomach. She has a downturned mouth, round nose, small eyes, and a squared hairline.

Gallery Text

During the Warring States and Han periods, jades functioned not only as ritual and burial items, but also as objects of personal adornment for the living. Other luxury materials, such as gold, bronze, and glass began to be incorporated with jades with greater frequency.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.50.325
Title
Jade Pendant Shaped as a Female Figure (one of a pair)
Classification
Ritual Implements
Work Type
pendant
Date
475-221 BCE
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period
Zhou dynasty, Warring States period, 475-221 BCE
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/204813

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1740, Early Chinese Art, Arts of Ancient China from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Pale greenish nephrite with tan markings
Dimensions
H. 4.8 x W. 1.8 x Thickness 0.5 cm (1 7/8 x 11/16 x 3/16 in.)
Weight 9 g

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Grenville L. Winthrop, New York (by 1943), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943.

Published Text

Catalogue
Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University
Authors
Max Loehr and Louisa G. Fitzgerald Huber
Publisher
Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1975)

Catalogue entry no. 411 by Max Loehr:

411 Pair of Pendants Shaped as Female Figures
Two biconvex pieces of pale greenish jade with tan markings, fashioned as statuettes of women in long, kimono-like gowns. Their faces, though flattish, are treated sculpturally and with great precision. The hair, finely striated, frames the forehead within a rectangle; visible only at the back, there is a plain cap covering the top of the hair. The edge of the collar is marked with a fine rope pattern, while the broad sash, the cuffs, and a vertical hem at the back are embellished by bands with zigzag striations. The ends of the sleeves, separated from the gown by triangular cutouts, are joined to the tips of two ornamental spikes at the lower corners. The figures are perforated along the central axis. Late Eastern Chou.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.50.325
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

THIS WORK MAY NOT BE LENT BY THE TERMS OF ITS ACQUISITION TO THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS.

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Publication History

  • Max Loehr and Louisa G. Fitzgerald Huber, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1975), cat. no. 411b, p. 282

Exhibition History

  • Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013
  • 32Q: 1740 Early China I, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu