Shang-Zhou Style, Carved-in-the-Round Jade Bird Pendant

This is a High Antiquity (Gao Gu) Jade Bird (or Owl) Pendant with a unique style and a profoundly thick patina.

• Dimensions and Weight: The pendant measures 61mm in length, 46.5mm in width, and has a significant thickness of 14mm. It weighs a substantial 57.4 grams. This data indicates it is an extremely thick and robust jade object, made from a dense, high-quality material. It would feel very heavy and satisfying in the hand (known as ya shou or "hand-pressing").

• Form and Carving:

  1. Overall Form: The object is a symmetrical bird (a divine bird or owl) crafted using in-the-round (yuan diao) and high relief (gao fu diao) techniques. It is not a realistic depiction but rather an abstract, top-down view, with the head, wings, and tail clearly delineated in a full, rounded form.

  2. Front (Images 547, 548, 549): The front side is the focal point. Exquisite high relief carving is used to make the wings and body's main contours rise prominently, creating a strong sense of three-dimensionality.

  3. Back (Image 554): The reverse side is treated more simply, using several deep, powerful "U-shaped" grooves to define the separation of the head, wings, and tail. This "complex front, simple back" (yi mian fan, yi mian jian) approach is a common technique in high antiquity jades.

  4. Perforation: A through-drilled hole is located in the center (the bird's body) for suspension. The hole appears well-formed and smooth, consistent with ancient drilling methods.

• Decoration: As you noted, the front is fully adorned with cloud scrolls (juan yun wen). These are not simple incisions; they are incised lines that flow and curve in harmony with the relief carving. Additionally, several raised round bosses (ru ding) or "whorl patterns" are carved on the head and wings, adding further complexity and texture.

• Material and Coloration: The jade is warm and fine-bodied, with an exceptionally thick patina that gives it the "oily luster" (you run) you described. The base color was likely white or pale-white jade, which has "matured" (shu hua) over millennia of burial and handling to its current soft, creamy-yellow color. Along the edges, tail, and in the grooves, large areas of brown and yellowish-brown staining (qin se) are visible. These colors transition naturally and have penetrated the jade's structure, creating the "mature and spicy" (lao la pi ke) patina you observed, which is rich with ancient character.

• Stylistic Analysis: The robust form, high-relief carving, and the combination of flowing cloud scrolls with raised bosses are all typical stylistic hallmarks of Chinese jade from the Warring States to the Han Dynasty (戰國至漢代). Given its substantial weight and thickness, it may have served not only as a pendant but also as a "handling piece" (wo jian) or a small "sleeve weight."

• Conclusion: This is a superb Warring States-Han style jade bird (owl) pendant with high-relief cloud scrolls. It demonstrates excellence in both material and craftsmanship, with a mature, "cooked" jade quality and a thick, "old-spicy" patina. It is a high antiquity jade artwork of significant value for both collection and appreciation.