string(21) "edanmdm:fsg_S1987.722" Axe (fu 斧) - National Museum of Asian Art
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art National Museum of Asian Art
Toggle Menu Search

Site Search

The Collections and Archives

Search The Collections

Axe (fu 斧)

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 3000-ca. 1700 BCE

  • Geography

    China

  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)

  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 15.9 x 9 x 0.9 cm (6 1/4 x 3 9/16 x 3/8 in)

  • Accession Number

    S1987.722

  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1987.722

Object Details

  • Description

    Axe blade, green jade with gray markings, attachment hole. (Many nicks; large flaw on one side; chips in corners; old labels adhere.)

  • Provenance

    To 1959
    Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), Shanghai, China, London, England, Montreal, Canada, New York, NY, and Ridgefield, Connecticut
    [1]
    From 1959 to 1963
    Edna H. Bahr (d. 1978), by descent from her father, Abel William Bahr
    From 1963 to 1987
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from Edna H. Bahr in 1963 [2]
    From 1987
    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] According to information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009.
    [2] See #20:
    "Green with light speckles. Ax-shaped. Single pierced hole," on list provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009, copy in object file.
    [3] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection

  • Exhibition History

    In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)

  • Previous custodian or owner

    Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)
    Edna H. Bahr (1907-1986)
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

  • Origin

    China

  • Culture

    Longshan culture, ca. 3000-ca. 1700 BCE

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

  • Type

    Ceremonial Object

  • 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

  • 1050 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington, DC 20013
    202.633.1000

© 2024 Smithsonian Institution