A very rare archaic jade 'twin bird' pendant, Early Western Zhou dynasty

The 'bird' pendant:

J. T. Tai & Co., New York, 1963.

Christie's New York, 16th September 2010, lot 973 (part lot).

The green jade ornament:

The Arthur M. Sackler Collection.

Christie's New York, 16th September 2010, lot 974 (part lot).

The 'bird' ornament:

C. T. Loo & Co., New York.

Collection of Chang Nai-chi.

The Arthur M. Sackler Collection.

Christie's New York, 16th September 2010, lot 974 (part lot).

The green jade ornament:

Archaic Chinese Jades, The University Museum, Philadelphia, 1940, cat. no. X. 87.

The 'bird' ornament:

An Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades, arranged for Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, C.T. Loo, inc., New York, 1950, pl. Li-8.

The 'bird' ornament:

Paul Singer, Chinese Art. A Thousand Masterpieces from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Tokyo, 2000, pl. 338,

Na Zhiliang, Zhongguo guyu tushi [Illustrated Discussions on Ancient Chinese Jades], Taipei, 1990, pl. 213.E.

Na Zhiliang, Guyu tuzai [Illustration of Archaic jades], Taipei, 2013, pl. 103.B.

With a creamy patina and rich russet occlusions that help to frame the composition, the present pendant is a fine example of the masterful stylised carving of the late Shang and early Zhou dynasties. Depicting two birds in profile – composed of cloudlike scrolls and beady eyes reminiscent of more common taotie motifs –the pendant is a triumph of archaic design. Imbued with a sense of serenity and power, similar double-bird motifs are well attested in this period and appear on many contemporaneous pieces of other media, particularly on bronze ritual vessels. Interestingly, though the original meaning of this design has likely been lost to time, similar designs of birds in union have remained popular in the Chinese artistic canon ever since and have developed auspicious associations, particularly associated with marital bliss.

Two closely related jade pendants of this design were included by eminent dealer C.T. Loo in his Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades, Nelson Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, 1950, pl. XXIX, nos 1 and 3: the former sold alongside the present lot at Christie’s New York, 16th September 2010, lot 973; and the latter now preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, acc. no. 1952.575.