string(21) "edanmdm:fsg_S1987.899" Axe (yue 鉞) - National Museum of Asian Art
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Axe (yue 鉞)

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
IIIF

Terms of Use

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At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE

  • Geography

    Anyang, probably Henan province, China

  • Material

    Bronze with turquoise inlay and jade (nephrite) blade

  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 20.2 x 11 x 1 cm (7 15/16 x 4 5/16 x 3/8 in)

  • Accession Number

    S1987.899

  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1987.899

Object Details

  • Description

    The bronze haft is of rectangular shape widening in steps toward the socket where only one side bar remains. A trapezoidal hafting hole pierces the haft below its decorated zone. The upper half is inlaid with large turquoise or green glass chips that depict an eye surrounded by linear ornament giving the impression of a head of a zoomorphic figure in profile. This design occurs on both sides. A thick woven material is incrusted in some areas of the bronze. The jade blade, beveled on the sides, widens to the sharpened cutting edge. A cut-out exists at the top of one side of the blade. Its color is buff with one greenish area. (Alterations in the color from green to whitish-buff of the jade; heavy incrustation of patina on haft; some inlay missing or covered with incrustations of bronze patination; blade is chipped on corner of one side with a cut-out on the edge of the other end of the same side.)

  • 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 note 1.
    [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

    The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)
    Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades (October 1, 1989 - September 10, 1990)
    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

    Anyang, probably Henan province, China

  • 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.

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