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Lot Essay
The present plaque is very rare and there are very few published examples. The present plaque appears to be the only example to be offered at auction.
Plaques of this type are thought to be ornaments belonging to high-status individuals of the Erlitou culture. Two very similar plaques have been found in Yanshi County, Henan Province. The first, found in 1981, has a slightly more elaborate design on the top section, while the second, found in 1984, shares an almost identical design to the current plaque bearing only slight differences in details, both with their eyes in original turquoise inlays, illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinghua dacidian, Shanghai, 1996, p. 4, no. 7 , and Gems of China's Cultural Relics, Beijing, 1992, no. 87, respectively.
Compare also to three other examples, formerly in the Winthrop collection, now in the Harvard Art Museums, accession numbers 1943.52.44, 1943.52.45 and 1943.52.46.
While prized in Erlitou culture, turquoise inlay was also found in the tombs of high-ranking individuals continuing into the Shang dynasty, and many turquoise-inlaid objects were excavated from the tomb of the Shang queen, Fu Hao, consort of king Wu Ding, at Anyang, Henan province, as illustrated in Yinxu Yuqi (The Jades from Yinxu), Beijing, 1982, pl. 17. There have been several turquoise-inlaid Shang- dynasty works sold at auction, including a Shang dynasty hilt, which has similar inlay to the present lot, and was sold at Christie's Paris, 26 November 2002, lot 199. A turquoise-inlaid bronze and jade ge halberd blade was sold at Christie's New York, 21-22 March 2013, lot 1125.
Plaques of this type are thought to be ornaments belonging to high-status individuals of the Erlitou culture. Two very similar plaques have been found in Yanshi County, Henan Province. The first, found in 1981, has a slightly more elaborate design on the top section, while the second, found in 1984, shares an almost identical design to the current plaque bearing only slight differences in details, both with their eyes in original turquoise inlays, illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinghua dacidian, Shanghai, 1996, p. 4, no. 7 , and Gems of China's Cultural Relics, Beijing, 1992, no. 87, respectively.
Compare also to three other examples, formerly in the Winthrop collection, now in the Harvard Art Museums, accession numbers 1943.52.44, 1943.52.45 and 1943.52.46.
While prized in Erlitou culture, turquoise inlay was also found in the tombs of high-ranking individuals continuing into the Shang dynasty, and many turquoise-inlaid objects were excavated from the tomb of the Shang queen, Fu Hao, consort of king Wu Ding, at Anyang, Henan province, as illustrated in Yinxu Yuqi (The Jades from Yinxu), Beijing, 1982, pl. 17. There have been several turquoise-inlaid Shang- dynasty works sold at auction, including a Shang dynasty hilt, which has similar inlay to the present lot, and was sold at Christie's Paris, 26 November 2002, lot 199. A turquoise-inlaid bronze and jade ge halberd blade was sold at Christie's New York, 21-22 March 2013, lot 1125.