The Colour-Selected Jade Osprey Unearthed from the Western Zhou Cemetery at Liutai

This colour-selected jade osprey is a fine work of art dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was excavated from Tomb No.2 at Liutai.

The jade carving measures 5.2 centimetres in length, 3.6 centimetres in width and 0.6 centimetres in thickness. A double-sided drilled hole is made on its head. The front of the body bulges slightly while the back is a little concave. Identical patterns are carved on both sides with a combination of thick and thin incised lines.

The osprey itself is bluish yellow, crafted from smooth and fine jade. It has a powerful posture, twisting its head backward and holding a fish firmly in its long beak. Its folded wings are decorated with incised cloud scroll patterns. The bird raises its tail, tucks its legs and raises the feathers on its back, with claws stretched forward and four toes carefully carved, capturing the exact moment after catching its prey.

The small fish is dark brown, stretching its body and lifting its head and bifurcated tail. Incised lines mark its fins, showing it struggling desperately.

Crafted with low relief on a flat piece of jade, this artefact ingeniously makes use of the natural colour variations of the raw stone to create two creatures in contrasting hues. It fully demonstrates the superb craftsmanship, unique aesthetic vision and careful observation of nature by ancient jade carvers.

The flying osprey catching fish and the prey struggling in its beak are vividly frozen on this tiny jade plaque merely 5.2 cm long, 3.6 cm wide and 0.6 cm thick. It stands as an outstanding treasure of early Western Zhou colour-selected jade art, featuring brilliant conception, graceful shape, precise proportions and vivid expression. It is also a rare realistic jade carving with exquisite workmanship and skilled carving techniques.

The hole drilled through the bird’s head proves that it also served as an exquisite ancient ornamental piece. Its discovery carries great significance for the research on economy, handicrafts and especially jade carving technology during the Shang and Zhou dynasties