A PALE CELADON JADE ‘CRESTED MYTHICAL BIRD’ FRAGMENT, SHANG DYNASTYChina, 1600-1046 BC. The flattened jade is carved in profile as a crested bird depicted with round eyes, a large crest above its head, and an almond-shaped aperture to the tail. The body is decorated in low relief with a large angular scroll to each side. The translucent stone of a pale celadon color with areas of white calcification.Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. -H. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou’s years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou’s drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China’s rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a ‘must see’ destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China’s glorious history.Condition:mensurate with age, with remnants of ancient cinnabar pigment, some wear and minuscule nibbling. The jade was broken into several pieces and reassembled, with associated small losses. Signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations, and surface alterations.Weight: 16.2 gDimensions: Length 6.9 cmLiteratureparison:Compare a related jade carving of a crowned bird, Shang dynasty, in the Aurora Museum Collection, but with two further birds in the middle section, illustrated in Jades of Shang Dynasty, Taipei, 2010, no. 127, p. 173.pare a related jade pendant of a bird, 9 cm, ca. 1200 BC, in thei n the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number FE.30-1973.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2719Price: HKD 562,500 or approx.EUR 69,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A jade crested mythical bird pendant, Shang dynasty c. 1600-1046 BCExpert remark:pare the related form, color of the jade, and remnants of cinnabar.