East Asia, China, Neolithic Hongshan culture, ca. 4700 to 2900 BCE. A gorgeous opaque crystal pendant in the highly stylized bird form favored by the Hongshan people. The bird is portrayed standing, with huge eyes and large wings that drape around the rest of the body. The feet and tail feathers are also defined. Two perforations through the back join together to form a place that the pendant could be attached or worn. The crystal is creamy white, with visible internal structures. Size: 1.65" W x 2.4" H (4.2 cm x 6.1 cm)

The Neolithic Hongshan culture is largely known to us from excavations of temples and tombs, many of which contain jade or other stone abstract or animal-shaped objects like this one. The meaning of bird pendants is debated, but many scholars have connected them to heaven - their flight, for example, is seen as a connection between heaven and earth. The evidence for this comes from a set of oracle bones from the slightly later Shang dynasty, which have an inscription that describes the phoenix as the messenger of heaven.

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection

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#122890

Wear on surface, with some light encrustation in lower profile areas. Wear around drilled holes. Cord shown in photograph not included.