Owl

Object Details

Description

A horned owl is depicted quite realistically except for the volute and triangle design decor on the wings. (Many chips/discrepancies in uniformity [ancient?]; deteriorated veins filled with soil and spots of cinnabar.)

(Jenny F. So, October 18, 1996) A standing horned owl is carved and decorated on both sides. Its wings hug the body tightly to form a taut columnar shape. Claws are seen in the front, and the back is decorated to show wings and tail. Double incised volutes and curls follow the bird's wings and body descriptively. Turquoise, surface deteriorated and filled with earthy remains; carved.

Provenance

To 1959

Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), Shanghai, China, London, England, Montreal, Canada, New York, NY, and Ridgefield, Connecticut

[1]

From 1963 to 1987

Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from the Bahr Collection in 1963 [2]

From 1987

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]

Notes:

[1] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009.

[2] See #344:

"Turquoise standing owl," on list provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009, copy in object file.

[3] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

Collection

Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Exhibition History

Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

Chinese Jade Animals (April 19 to July 14, 1996)

The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades (October 1, 1989 - September 10, 1990)

In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)

Previous custodian or owner

Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)

Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

Credit Line

Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE

Period

Late Shang dynasty, Anyang period

Accession Number

S1987.864

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Turquoise

Dimensions

H x W x D: 6.3 × 3.4 × 1.9 cm (2 1/2 × 1 5/16 × 3/4 in)

Origin

Anyang, probably Henan province, China

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

Jades for Life and Death

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

bird

owl

Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE)

China

Chinese Art

Record ID

fsg_S1987.864

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3b4c2e99d-70b4-4f9a-bb52-345980533274