Pendant in the form of a rabbit

Object Details

• Description

  Rabbit, profile; few carved details; pierced; translucent whitish-green. (Few internal cracks.)

• Provenance

  As early as 1928

  Likely discovered at archeological sites in Loyang, Honan Province, China [1]

  To 1948

  Zhang Naiji(1899–1948), Shanghai, China then New York, NY [2]

  1948 to 1954

  Zhang Mei Chien (1901–c.1955), New York, NY inherited upon her husband’s death [3]

  1954 to 1963

  J. T. Tai & Company, New York, NY bought from ZHANG Mei Chien in July 1954 in New York, NY [4]

  1963 to 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler, New York most likely purchased from J. T. Tai & Company on 5/15/1963 in New York, NY [5]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, September 11, 1987 [7]

  Notes:

  [1] Object published in Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition (Philadelphia: The University Museum, February 1940), cat. 151. Catalogue entry notes discovery site. Excavations at Anyang began in 1928.

  [2] Zhang Naiji (also known as N. C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938, and acquired his objects onsite of archeological excavations (see: Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade through the Wei Dynasty. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1963: 115.).

  Zhang lent his collection anonymously to Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition. We know his identity through letters housed in the Department of Archives, The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (see: letter, C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 25 October 1939 and letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 16 December 1939), copies in FǀS COM provenance files. The exhibition was entirely organized by C. T. Loo & Company, New York. Letters exchanged between C. T. Loo and the director of The University Museum, Mr. Horace H.F. Jayne, reveal that Zhang Naiji owned the objects and C. T. Loo & Company had the collection on consignment (see: letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 28 May 1939 and letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 23 October 1940, copies on COM provenance files). C. T. Loo & Company kept the jade collection on consignment from 1940 through Zhang’s death in 1948, inventorying the pieces with a prefix “J” and labeling each item as “Chang Collection.”

  [3] Zhang Mei Chien, Zhang Naiji’s wife, assumed ownership upon his death in 1948. She sold several pieces from her husband’s collection to J. T. Tai & Company in July 1954 (for example, see J. T. Tai & Company Stock Record YT 886 and YT 895, copies in COM provenance files).

  [4] The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation provided documents that report Arthur M. Sackler purchased this piece, S1987.587, from J. T. Tai & Company on 5/5/63 as stock number YT-951. The invoice from J. T. Tai to Arthur M. Sackler, dated 5/15/63 describes YT-951 as: “2 jade pieces.” This object does not have a pendant; nor is it in multiple pieces. It is likely that the object entered Arthur M. Sackler’s collection on 5/15/63, but the Tai stock number was recorded incorrectly. Copy in accession file.

  [5] See note 4.

  [6] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Magic, Myths, and Minerals: Chinese Jades from the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (August 23, 2003 to January 29, 2006)

  Monsters, Myths and Minerals (September 28, 1987 to November 26, 1995)

  Archaic Chinese Jades, Special Exhibition (February 1940)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)

  Zhang Mei Chien (1900-1998)

  J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Zhang, Naiji, J. T. Tai & Co., Zhang, Chien Mei

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Rabbits, Art, Animals, Carving, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Nephrite, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry