Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The Barlow Collection

A select catalogue of the Barlow collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades by the University of Sussex (published Sussex, 2006).

The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

Publications online: 456 objects

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Disc with a phoenix and a dragon

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    The disc shows a mixture of styles, although it is basically imitating an archaic jade. Unlike archaic examples, it was not carved from a flat disc, but varies greatly in thickness, according to the design.

    The piece is made of green stone, ranging from a deep grey green to a paler yellowish green, with yellowish-brown patches. It is carved as an unevenly shaped disc, with a circular hole in the centre and a pointed tip, flanked by an openwork dragon and an openwork cloud motif. On one side, the hole is incorporated off-centre into an oval surround, which slopes towards the hole, where the disc is very thin; on the other side, it is surrounded by a rope-twist border. The surface is decorated with angled and archaistic scroll motifs in relief.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia China (place of creation)
    Date
    1911 - 1963
    Material and technique
    jade, with carved decoration
    Dimensions
    0.6 cm (height)
    12.2 cm (width)
    Material index
    inorganicstonegemstone jade,
    Technique index
    formed carved,
    Object type index
    artefact disc,
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.28
  • Further reading

    University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. J14

Glossary

phoenix

  • phoenix

    Mythical bird known as hōō in Japan. The Islamic tradition appropriated the far-eastern iconography of the phoenix and used it to represent another mythical bird, the simurgh.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    The disc shows a mixture of styles, although it is basically imitating an archaic jade. Unlike archaic examples, it was not carved from a flat disc, but varies greatly in thickness, according to the design.

    The piece is made of green stone, ranging from a deep grey green to a paler yellowish green, with yellowish-brown patches. It is carved as an unevenly shaped disc, with a circular hole in the centre and a pointed tip, flanked by an openwork dragon and an openwork cloud motif. On one side, the hole is incorporated off-centre into an oval surround, which slopes towards the hole, where the disc is very thin; on the other side, it is surrounded by a rope-twist border. The surface is decorated with angled and archaistic scroll motifs in relief.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

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