Shu figurine—bird—from the Shang Dynasty

This bird is a replica of the bronze Shu figurine from the Shang Dynasty. The Shang Dynasty (1750–122 B.C.) is considered the oldest Chinese dynasty. Although there was not yet a centrally governed empire, this period did see the emergence of a cohesive culture across a larger region for the first time. During the Shang Dynasty, bronze objects were not yet cast using the lost-wax method that later became standard. Instead, a thick shell was formed from clay around a core, and the bronze was then poured into the open space between the core and the shell. In 1989, a large number of bronze ritual art objects were excavated at Saxingdui in Sichuan Province, far from the center of power of the Shang Dynasty. They had a unique style and have been called Shu bronzes. Most of the animal figures found originally served as ornamented handles for ritual vessels. Birds were a favorite subject, particularly the mythical phoenix (Luan Feng), which symbolized the wind.

The statue stands on a small pedestal and is 15 cm tall in total.

On display at our gallery in Amersfoort, Netherlands.

Packaged in a gift box. Buy the rooster along with the bird in our value set!