Dagger-axe (ge) with dragon

1. (Undated folder sheet note) Purchased from Ton-Ying & Co., New York. For price, see <u>Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920<e>.

2. (J.A.P., 1944) One of a group of twelve weapons said to have been found at Hsun  Hsien, Wei-hui Fu, Honan Province. (<u>cf<e>. 34.3)

This <u>ko<e> has an unusually broad <u>yuan<e> with a rather blunt point. The <u>hu<e> is normal with two holes; and the back end of the <u>nei<e> curves downward at a slightly oblique angle. Behind the part presumably covered by the haft it is decorated with raised lines in a deep intaglio field giving the impression that it may have been inlaid with paste of some sort, or with bits of semi-precious stone. (<u>cf<e>. 34.5, 34.8, 34.10). At the back of the <u>yuan<e>, on each side, is a small highly stylized mask, cast in sharp relief.

<u>Nei<e> of this type occur on <u>ko<e> found at An-yang, but apparently always on those lacking the developed <u>hu<e> (See Preliminary Reports of Excavations at An-yang. An-yang fa-chueh pao-kao [chn], III, pls. 6-8). 39.39 and 39.40 are of similar type with the inlay, in this case turquoise, intact.

3. (J. Smith per Keith Wilson, 8/12/2008) Weapon and Armament added as secondary classification.

4. (J. Smith per Keith Wilson, 3/2009) Dagger axe (ge) with dragon; Western Zhou dynasty; Purportedly from Xun xian, Henan Province.

5.  (S. Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, 13 July 2010) Object name changed from "Dagger-axe (ge)" to "Weapon."