Harvesting knife (hu) with interlaced dragons and birds, reworked

Detail of a pattern
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Terms of Use

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At A Glance

  • Period

    600-476 BCE
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimension

    H x W x D (overall): 19.2 x 6.7 x 0.5 cm (7 9/16 x 2 5/8 x 3/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1968.38
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1968.38

Object Details

  • Description

    Ceremonial Weapon: Oblong blade with wide, deeply carved geometrical border on one side.
  • Provenance

    From at least 1929 to 1968
    Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), New York, Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY, from at least January 12, 1929 [1]
    From 1968
    Freer Gallery of Art, given by Agnes E. Meyer in 1968 [2]
    Notes:
    [1] Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer lent the jade to an exhibition in Berlin in 1929, see Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst Veranstaltet
    von der Gesellschaft für Ostasiatische Kunst und der Preußischen Akademie der Künste Berlin, exh. cat. (January 12 – April 2, 1929), cat. 222 (ill.).
    [2] See Agnes E. Meyer’s Deed of Gift, dated July 24, 1967, where the object is listed as no. 23 in the document’s Annex, copy in object file. The object was accessioned to the Freer Gallery’s collection in 1968.
  • 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

    Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
  • Origin

    China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
  • Type

    Ceremonial Object
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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