Forked blade (zhang 璋)

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial implement; blade with two slightly flaring sides, one obliquely beveled to a sharp cutting edge; upper end sharp and slightly concave; prominent lateral projection on each side above perforated tang; dull blackish brown and greens, translucent in thin areas; granular patches with earth incrustation on reverse of tang.

  Acquired with a box, now lost.

• Provenance

  To 1916

  You Xiaoxi, Shanghai, to 1916 [1]

  From 1916 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi, in New York in 1916 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1040, pg. 231, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

• Previous custodian or owner

  You Xiaoxi 游篠溪 (late 19th-early 20th century) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Shenmu Shimao, probably Shaanxi province, China

• Culture

  Longshan culture, ca. 3000-ca. 1700 BCE

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• On View

  Freer Gallery 19: Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 2000s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, You, Xiaoxi

• Place

  Shenmu Shimao, Shaanxi province, China

• Topic

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

• Culture

  Longshan culture, Chinese

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects

• On View

  Yes