China, 1600-1046 BC. The flattened jade is carved in profile as a crested bird depicted with round eyes, a large crest above its head, and an almond-shaped aperture to the tail. The body is decorated in low relief with a large angular scroll to each side. The translucent stone of a pale celadon color with areas of white calcification.

Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. E.3.21A-H. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou’s years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou’s drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China’s rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a ‘must see’ destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China’s glorious history.
Condition: Commensurate with age, with remnants of ancient cinnabar pigment, some wear and minuscule nibbling. The jade was broken into several pieces and reassembled, with associated small losses. Signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations, and surface alterations.

Weight: 16.2 g
Dimensions: Length 6.9 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related jade carving of a crowned bird, Shang dynasty, in the Aurora Museum Collection, but with two further birds in the middle section, illustrated in Jades of Shang Dynasty, Taipei, 2010, no. 127, p. 173. Compare a related jade pendant of a bird, 9 cm, ca. 1200 BC, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number FE.30-1973.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2719
Price: HKD 562,500 or approx. EUR 69,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A jade crested mythical bird pendant, Shang dynasty c. 1600-1046 BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form, color of the jade, and remnants of cinnabar. Note the size (9.8 cm) and that this pendant is not a fragment like the present lot.



商代青白玉鳥形佩殘片
中國，公元前1600-1046年。此鳥形殘片呈扁平狀，兩面相同紋理，淺浮雕一隻有冠的鳥，圓眼，尾巴上有一個孔。淺青色的半透明玉石，有白色鈣化區域。

來源：吳權博士收藏；吳蓮伯美術館，館藏編號 E.3.21A-H。吳權(1910-1997)博士 曾是一位中國外交家以及知名中國藝術收藏家。他的父親吳蓮伯 (1873-1944)先生曾是二十世紀初中國重要政治人物，因在民國動蕩歲月中擔任國會議員及議長而聞名。1952 年，吳博士在外交領域走上了輝煌之路，直到他退休後定居倫敦，並將餘生奉獻給了對中國藝術的研究。毫無疑問，吳權博士多年的收藏，與大量中國藝術珍品現身倫敦藝術市場上時間點相呼應，這無疑是幸運的。從 1950 年代中期到 1960 年代後期，他收集了 1,000 多件藏品，涵蓋了中國藝術的每一個門類。吳博士之所以收藏，其原因主要是爲保護散落歐洲各地的中國文物與推廣中國藝術與文化。尚不清楚吳博士何時想到創建一個美術館來歸置他的收藏的，但在 1968 年，他打開了以他父親的名字命名的 吳蓮伯美術館的大門。多年來，美術館已成為收藏家、學者和來訪政要的必經之地，而吳博士總是很樂意給參觀者介紹美術館，講述中國光輝歷史的故事。
品相：帶有硃砂色素殘留，一些磨損和微小的磕損。玉被打碎成幾塊又重新組裝，風化和侵蝕、土壤結殼和表面變化。

重量：16.2 克
尺寸：長 6.9 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件相近的商代鳥形玉珮，但中間部分有兩隻鳥，收藏於Aurora Museum Collection，見《Jades of Shang Dynasty》，臺北，2010年，編號127，頁173。比較一件相近鳥形玉珮件，9 厘米，約公元前1200，收藏於維多利亞與亞伯特博物館，館藏編號FE.30-1973。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2020年11月30日，lot 2719
價格：HKD 562,500（相當於今日EUR 69,500）
描述：商玉鳥形珮
專家評論：比較相近的外形、玉石顏色和硃砂色素殘留。請注意尺寸(9.8 厘米)，以及這件玉珮是完整的，非殘片。