An exceptionally rare jade 'mask' ornament, Shang dynasty or earlier | 商或較早 卷尾形高冠神人首玉飾

Galaxie Art & Gift Co., Hong Kong, 14th July 1996.

嘉藝工藝品有限公司，香港，1996年7月14日

This piece represents an exceptionally rare example of human representation on archaic jades. Of the thousands of archaic jades excavated to date, no more than a few dozen feature recognisably human subjects and, of these, only a handful do so in profile. Purported to be derived from Neolithic designs featuring semi-human figures with wings, the figure stares out with a large, imposing eye reminiscent of the taotie motif and sports an elaborate avian headdress. These rare features can also be observed in the visual language of Shang bronze wares. Compare, for example, a bronze ge with turquoise inlay at the National Museum of Asian Art (accession no. F1950.9), illustrated in Sueji Umehara, Yin hsu: Ancient Capital of the Shang Dynasty at An-yang, Tokyo, 1964, pl. 33, which features a similar spined design along its 'dragon' handle.

A similar jade profile with headdress excavated from Tomb M331 in Xiaotun, Anyang is now in the collections of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica (accession no. R009118). Compare also two related human profiles with stylised eyes and headdresses excavated from the famous, richly furnished late Shang tomb of the high-ranking imperial consort and military commander Lady Hao, illustrated in Yinxu Fu Hao mu [The Tomb of Lady Hao of Yinxu], Beijing, 1980, pl. 132.

高古玉器中，雕人者極罕。迄今為止，成千上萬發掘出土的古玉中，可辨認為飾以人像者，不過數十，當中側面之例，更是屈指可數。上承新石器時代羽人特徵，此品琢雕臣字巨目，炯炯有神，頭頂高冠，翎毛卷曲出廓，精巧入微，裝飾圖案與商代青銅禮器有不少相通之處。參考華盛頓國立亞洲藝術博物館藏嵌綠松石青銅戈（藏品編號F1950.9），龍柄上出廓羽冠與此相類，圖見梅原末治，《殷墟》，東京，1964年，圖版33。

安陽小屯墓M331出土相類高冠神人側面飾，現存中央研究院歷史語言研究所（藏品編號R009118）。商王武丁之妻婦好，驍勇善戰，用兵有道，其墓有兩高冠側面人形飾，見《殷墟婦好墓》，北京，1980年，圖版132。