A PALE CELADON JADE CARVING OF A BIRD, WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTY China, c. 1100-771 BC. Finely carved in the round as a bird standing on its two feet and tail, depicted with round eyes, a slightly hooked beak, and a crested crown. The wings and chest are detailed with characteristic double-line grooves. The bird’s chest is pierced with two cord holes for suspension. The translucent stone is of a pale celadon tone with icy veins, cloudy white inclusions, black specks, and a small area of opaque calcification to one side.

Provenance: From the collection of David Taylor, and thence by descent within the Taylor family. David Taylor (1876-1958) was a notable British businessman who lived in Belfast and owned various commercial buildings along with a substantial portfolio of stocks and shares. During his travels to China in the early 20^th century, he acquired many jades, including the present lot. His grandfather, Sir David Taylor, was born in 1815 in Perth, Scotland, and moved to Belfast in 1842, serving as its Mayor in 1867 and for two consecutive terms in 1883 and 1884.
Condition: Fine condition, commensurate with age. Few tiny nicks here and there, signs of weathering and ancient wear. The stone with natural fissures and some calcified areas. The carving shows a silky matte surface overall as a result of long-time burial.

Weight: 27.4 g
Dimensions: Height 4.2 cm

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related celadon jade bird-shaped finial, with similar posture, eyes, beak, and decoration, and also dated to the Western Zhou Dynasty, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Chinese Archaic Jades from the Yangdetang Collection Part II on 28 November 2018, lot 2734, sold for HKD 812,500.

西周鳥形青白玉雕
中國，公元前1100-771 年。圓雕立鳥，細節清晰，可見雙足和尾巴，圓眼，喙略呈鉤狀，頭上有冠。翅膀和胸部飾有獨特的陰陽線紋。鳥的胸部雙孔，可於懸掛。半透明玉料呈淡青色，有冰紋、絮狀物、黑色斑紋，一側有一小塊不透明的鈣化區域。

來源: David Taylor收藏，自此一直保存在Taylor家族中。David Taylor (1876-1958) 曾是一位著名的英國商人，住在貝爾法斯特，擁有各種商業建築以及大量股票和股份。二十世紀初，他到中國旅行時購買了許多玉器，包括現在的這件。 他的祖父戴維·泰勒爵士 1815 年出生於蘇格蘭Perth，1842 年移居Belfast，1867 年擔任市長，1883 年和 1884 年連任。
品相: 狀況良好，與年代相稱。局部有細小的刻痕，風化和磨損的跡象。天然裂紋和一些鈣化區域，表面啞光。

重量: 27.4 克
尺寸: 高4.2 厘米

拍賣結果比較: 比較一件十分相近的西周鳥形玉件，相似紋飾，見香港佳士得Chinese Archaic Jades from the Yangdetang Collection Part II 2018年11月28日 lot 2734, 售價HKD 812,500。