J.J. Lally & Co., Oriental Art / New York City, New York
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37.
AN INCISED JADE TIGER FORM PLAQUE
Western Zhou Dynasty (1027 – 771 B.C.)
carved as a stylized silhouette, the tiger shown crouching with tail extended, the large head with ears pinned back and jaws open showing pointed fangs, finely incised on both sides with linear details and ornamentation including large lozenge shaped eyes, double-line hooked scroll motifs for the ribs, shoulders and haunches, ‘D’-shaped ornament on the tail and long straight claws, all within a single line border, with cinnabar filling the incised decoration, giving strong contrast to the onion-green jade which now shows cloudy tan color in some areas, the tail drilled from both sides.
Length 4 1⁄4 inches (10.8 cm)
Compare the plain tiger form plaque similarly carved as a silhouette excavated at the site of the Western Zhou Yan State cemetery at Liulihe, Hebei province, illustrated in Liulihe Xi Zhou Yan guo mudi (Yan State Cemetery of the Western Zhou Period at Liulihe), Beijing, 1995, pl. 100, no. 1, with description on pp. 231-232 and a line drawing on p. 234, pl. 143, no. 1.
Compare also the tiger form plaque of related design excavated from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, illustrated in the catalogue of the exhibition organized by the Hubei Provincial Museum, Zeng Hou Yi mu: Zhan’guo zaoqi de li yue wenming (Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng: Ritual-and-Music Civilization in the Early Warring States Period), Beijing, 2007, p. 103.
西周 虎形玉珮 長 10.8 厘米
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37.
AN INCISED JADE TIGER FORM PLAQUE
Western Zhou Dynasty (1027 – 771 B.C.)
Length 4 1⁄4 inches (10.8 cm)