Harvesting knife (hu 笏), fragment

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial blade of the type hu. Irregular trapezoidal shape. The lower edge is ground to a blunt cutting edge. Along the upper edge, one and a fractional conical perforation, drilled from opposite sides. Closer to the narrower edge, two perforations, drilled from opposite sides. Opaque green gray jade with lighter streaks and spots.

• Provenance

  Possibly 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 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] An inscription on the box with which the jade was acquired, “Zhou, Ting, Taozhai zhen cang," provides a reference to the Taozhai, Duanfang’s studio, indicating that the jade may have been part of the Duanfang collection. The jade is not included in Duanfang’s jade catalogue, Taozhai gu yu tu, published posthumously in 1936 in Shanghai, but it is known that not all jades assembled by Duanfang were included in the catalogue.

  [2] The object is included in a codicil to Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament, dated December 23, 1969, copy in object file.

  [3] See a codicil to Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament cited in note 2.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Art of the Warring States Period: Change and Community, 480-222 B.C. (September 30, 1982 to February 17, 1983)

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition (September 25, 1971 to October 2, 1972)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Duanfang 端方 (1861-1911)

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer ((1875-1959) and (1887-1970))

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 3000s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Meyer, Eugene and Agnes E., Duanfang

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Chinese Art, Nephrite, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects