H x W x D: 11.1 x 6.6 x 0.4 cm (4 3/8 x 2 5/8 x 3/16 in)
Type:
Ceremonial Object
Origin:
Anyang, probably Henan province, China
Date:
ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE
Period:
Late Shang dynasty, Anyang period
Description:
Axe blade with notched sides; pierced; translucent green with opaque cream. Traces of burial cinnabar. (Mostly calcified; small chips and deposits.)
Provenance:
By 1964
Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY [1]
1964 to 1987
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY purchased from Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY on August 27, 1964 [2]
From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]
Notes:
[1] F. Caro stock no. FC-2325:
"Archaic jade, axe blade, with series of six teeth near center of each side; traces of burial and cinnabar," see invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art to Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964, copy in object file.
[2] See Frank Caro's invoice referenced in 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:
Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)
Topic:
Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE) Search this
