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A 3D jade sculpture of a sitting bear that is facing to the left of the viewer. The bear is sitting up with its back legs crouched up in front of its chest and its front paws resting on its knees. There are carved lines on its face to show its eyes and snout. It is tan and red in color.

A 3D jade sculpture of a sitting bear that is facing to the left of the viewer. The bear is sitting up on its rear with its back legs crouched up in front of its chest and its front paws resting on its knees. Its body is round in shape. Its head has a strong jawline and round ears. There are carved lines on its body to show arms and paws. There are lines on its face to show its eyes and snout. It is tan and red in color. The background is light grey.

Gallery Text

In the Zhou dynasty the number of jades in burial sites increased significantly, as multiple plaques and beads were sewn or strung together and draped over the face and body of the deceased. Jades in the forms of figures and animals became increasingly realistic, and surface patterns became more complex and highly decorative.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.50.307
Title
Jade Seated Bear in the Round
Classification
Ritual Implements
Work Type
figurine
Date
c. 1100-771 BCE
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period
Zhou dynasty, Western Zhou period, c. 1050-771 BCE
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/204482

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1740, Early Chinese Art, Arts of Ancient China from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Translucent olive-green, partly discolored nephrite with traces of red pigment
Dimensions
H. 5.5 x W. 3.4 x D. 3.2 cm (2 3/16 x 1 5/16 x 1 1/4 in.)
Weight 88 g

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[Yamanaka & Co., New York, December 31,1941] sold; to Grenville L. Winthrop, New York (1941-1943), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943.

Published Text

Catalogue
Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University
Authors
Max Loehr and Louisa G. Fitzgerald Huber
Publisher
Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA, 1975)

Catalogue entry no. 305 by Max Loehr:

305 Seated Bear in the Round
Translucent olive-green, partly discolored jade with traces of red pigment. This relatively large and appealing sculpture reveals a deeper understanding of the animal’s anatomy than do the preceding images, No. 156, 157. The head is clearly set off; the forelegs are bent at the elbows; and the feet and haunches are modeled with a sure sense of their function and volumes. Th eyes however, are large and conventional and not like a bear’s—in contrast to the lovingly modeled bear ears. Another instance of subtle modeling is the slight groove down the middle of the back. The claws are indicated by incisions. Between the ears is a vertical drill-hole that connects with another hole drilled from the back of the head. Probably Western Chou.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.50.307
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Max Loehr and Louisa G. Fitzgerald Huber, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, Fogg Art Museum, 1975)., cat. no. 305, p. 210
  • Jenny So, Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2019), pp. 166-69, cat. 20B

Exhibition History

  • S427: Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 10/20/1985 - 04/30/2008
  • Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013
  • 32Q: 1740 Early China I, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu