12th Mar, 2026 11:00
The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2
80
A VERY RARE TURQUOISE ‘WATER BUFFALO’ PENDANT, LATE SHANG TO EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
€3,000
€6,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Published: Myrna Myers (ed.) & Filippo Salviati (auth.), The Language of Adornment. Chinese Ornaments of Jade, Crystal, Amber and Glass, Paris, 2002, no. 16.
Expert’s note: The head of the buffalo in the present example displays characteristics closely associated with Shang period carving, including highly stylized eyes and horns, while the body has been skillfully adapted to the irregular form and surface of the turquoise pebble. The use of turquoise is highly unusual, as jade constituted the preferred material for animal sculpture. During the late Shang period, turquoise was employed primarily as an inlay material in bronze and bone objects, although a small number of carvings executed entirely in turquoise are documented. The reverse of the pendant remains uncarved, indicating that the object was intended to be viewed from a single side. For a more detailed discussion of the development of the water buffalo motif in hardstone from the Shang period onward, see Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, 1995, p. 205-208.
China, 11th-10th century BC. The thick plaque boldly carved as a recumbent water buffalo, its legs folded beneath the body and the head sharply turned to the right, defined by a pair of tightly curled horns, circular eyes, and a pronounced muzzle. The upper right corner drilled from both sides for suspension. The reverse left plain. The opaque stone of a vivid green hue on the carved surface, enhanced by subtle yellowish accents.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. According to the Myers ledger, this was acquired on 12 April 2001, and has been in the collection for 25 years.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with surface wear and inherent natural imperfections. Distinct traces of weathering and erosion. Few minor nicks, shallow surface scratches, losses, and occasional small chips, mostly to the reverse.
Weight: 83.5 g
Dimensions: Length 6.9 cm
Carvings of water buffalo in hardstone first appear during the later phase of the Shang period. The most significant early examples were recovered from the tomb of Fu Hao at Anyang, a burial that also yielded a large buffalo sculpture in marble. These early works established formal and iconographic prototypes for later representations of recumbent buffalo in jade, a subject that achieved sustained popularity during the Song, Ming, and Qing periods. With the passage of time, the use of this motif for pendants gradually declined, giving way to fully three-dimensional carvings conceived as small, portable objects intended to be held in the hand. This shift is particularly characteristic of the Song period. During the Ming and Qing periods, larger scale representations of water buffalo were produced as autonomous works of art intended for display.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2021, lot 379
Estimate: GBP 25,000 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A jade ‘water buffalo’ pendant, late Shang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and recumbent posture of the animal with the similarly rendered turned head and facial features. Note the slightly smaller size (5.7 cm) and the provenance, as this lot was formerly part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, and is illustrated on the same page of The Language of Adornment as the present lot.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 March 2017, lot 802
Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small greyish-green jade ‘buffalo’, late Shang to early Western Zhou dynasty, 12th-10th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and recumbent posture of the animal with the similarly rendered turned head and facial features. Note the smaller size (4.5 cm).
Published: Myrna Myers (ed.) & Filippo Salviati (auth.), The Language of Adornment. Chinese Ornaments of Jade, Crystal, Amber and Glass, Paris, 2002, no. 16.
Expert’s note: The head of the buffalo in the present example displays characteristics closely associated with Shang period carving, including highly stylized eyes and horns, while the body has been skillfully adapted to the irregular form and surface of the turquoise pebble. The use of turquoise is highly unusual, as jade constituted the preferred material for animal sculpture. During the late Shang period, turquoise was employed primarily as an inlay material in bronze and bone objects, although a small number of carvings executed entirely in turquoise are documented. The reverse of the pendant remains uncarved, indicating that the object was intended to be viewed from a single side. For a more detailed discussion of the development of the water buffalo motif in hardstone from the Shang period onward, see Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, 1995, p. 205-208.
China, 11th-10th century BC. The thick plaque boldly carved as a recumbent water buffalo, its legs folded beneath the body and the head sharply turned to the right, defined by a pair of tightly curled horns, circular eyes, and a pronounced muzzle. The upper right corner drilled from both sides for suspension. The reverse left plain. The opaque stone of a vivid green hue on the carved surface, enhanced by subtle yellowish accents.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. According to the Myers ledger, this was acquired on 12 April 2001, and has been in the collection for 25 years.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with surface wear and inherent natural imperfections. Distinct traces of weathering and erosion. Few minor nicks, shallow surface scratches, losses, and occasional small chips, mostly to the reverse.
Weight: 83.5 g
Dimensions: Length 6.9 cm
Carvings of water buffalo in hardstone first appear during the later phase of the Shang period. The most significant early examples were recovered from the tomb of Fu Hao at Anyang, a burial that also yielded a large buffalo sculpture in marble. These early works established formal and iconographic prototypes for later representations of recumbent buffalo in jade, a subject that achieved sustained popularity during the Song, Ming, and Qing periods. With the passage of time, the use of this motif for pendants gradually declined, giving way to fully three-dimensional carvings conceived as small, portable objects intended to be held in the hand. This shift is particularly characteristic of the Song period. During the Ming and Qing periods, larger scale representations of water buffalo were produced as autonomous works of art intended for display.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2021, lot 379
Estimate: GBP 25,000 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A jade ‘water buffalo’ pendant, late Shang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and recumbent posture of the animal with the similarly rendered turned head and facial features. Note the slightly smaller size (5.7 cm) and the provenance, as this lot was formerly part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, and is illustrated on the same page of The Language of Adornment as the present lot.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 March 2017, lot 802
Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small greyish-green jade ‘buffalo’, late Shang to early Western Zhou dynasty, 12th-10th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving and recumbent posture of the animal with the similarly rendered turned head and facial features. Note the smaller size (4.5 cm).
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Auction: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2, 12th Mar, 2026
Online Catalog: Jump to the Online Catalog
It is with great pleasure that we present the second part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection — an extraordinary ensemble that has traveled across continents and inspired scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors alike. It is, without question, one of the most significant and important collections ever entrusted to this gallery. Learn more.
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