Round axe, made from a collared disk

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

On View
  • Period

    ca. 1250-ca. 1050 BCE
  • Geography

    Anyang, probably Henan province, China
  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 19.8 x 20 x 0.8 cm (7 13/16 x 7 7/8 x 5/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1970.39
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1970.39

Object Details

  • Description

    Flanged pierced pi [bi] 璧 disk with lateral serrations arranged on either side of the central orifice. Buff colored with some darker mottling. The lower edge is ground to a blunt cutting edge.
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Duanfang 端方 (1861-1911)
    Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer ((1875-1959) and (1887-1970))
  • Provenance

    Duanfang (1861-1911) [1]
    From at least 1969 to 1970
    Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY [2]
    From 1970
    Freer Gallery of Art, bequeathed by Agnes E. Meyer, 1970 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] The jade is included in Duanfang’s catalogue of his jade collection, published posthumously in 1936 with a preface by Wang Dalong, see Duanfang, Taozhai gu yu tu, vol. 1 (Shanghai, 1936), p. 1:3a.
    Duanfang was a late Qing government official and a well known collector of Chinese art. See also Thomas Lawton, A Time of Transition: Two Collectors of Chinese Art (Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, 1991), pp. 37-39, fig. 37.
    An inscription on the box with which the jade was acquired reads: “Zhou, gu bi, Tao zhai zhen cang"; a reference to the Taozhai, Duanfang’s studio provides another indication that the jade was in Duanfang’s collection.
    [2] The object is included in Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament dated December 23, 1969, copy in object file.
    [3] See Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament cited in note 2.
  • Origin

    Anyang, probably Henan province, China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
  • Type

    Ceremonial Object
  • On View

    Sackler Gallery 23b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring