A CELADON JADE ‘TIGER’ PENDANT, LATE SHANG TO EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 1200-1100 BC. Of elongated flattened form, the arc-shaped pendant worked in the form of a crouching tiger with legs tucked beneath the body and a furcated tail that curls upwards, pierced at the snout and tail. The translucent stone of a fine celadon tone with cloudy inclusions and 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: Old wear, some weathering, soil encrustations, surface alterations and traces of use, all as expected. Minor nibbling. The jade was broken into three pieces and reassembled, with associated small losses.Weight: 13.3 gDimensions: Length 9.1 cmLiteratureparison:Compare a related jade pendant of a tiger, 9.4 cm, late Shang dynasty, in the Smithsonian Museum, accession number S1987.705.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s, 30 November 2020, lot 2769Price: HKD 87,500 or approx.EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pale greenish jade tiger-form pendant, late Shang-early Western Zhou dynasty, c. 12th-11th century BCExpert remark:pare the related subject, form, incision work, and color of the jade. Note the size (7.6 cm).商末至西周初期青玉虎形佩中國，公元前1200-1100年。此虎形佩呈扁平狀，兩面通體飾虎紋，虎張口，尾上卷，作爬行狀。虎口和尾各有一小孔可供穿系佩帶。青色半透明玉料，局部有沁蝕黑斑和白色鈣化區域。