Small Marble Sculpture of a Standing Owl
This marble sculpture depicts a standing owl with a flattened, rounded head, hooked beak, slightly protruding abdomen, and tail that hangs down forked into two. The body is entirely covered in intricate motifs. The front of both ear features relief lines, while the top of both displays incised insect motifs. Each side of the head bears kui dragons, the chest is embellished with symmetrical bird patterns, and the spine has insect motifs. The front of the legs is incised, and a kui dragon motif can be found on each fork of the tail. Vividly depicted and finely crafted, this artifact stands as one of the representative marble sculptures unearthed at Yinxu.
- Item No.
- R001610
- Period
- Shang Dynasty at Yin (ca. 1250–1050 BCE)
- Dimensions
- H: 17.1, L: 10.6, W: 9.1 cm; Wt: 2.5 kg
- Excavated/Findspot
- Tomb M1001, Hsi-pei-kang, Yinxu, Anyang, Henan Province
- Materials
- Marble
- Notes
- 3D Gallery of IHP--Standing Owl
