Jades for Life and Death

Classification: Ceremonial Object

Historical period(s): Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 1050-771 BCE

Object Date: ca. 1050-771 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 17.1 x 2.5 x 0.4 cm (6 3/4 x 1 x 3/16 in)

Origin: China

Credit Line: Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1939.21

: 戈
西周（公元前1050-771年）
中國
軟玉
高2.5、寬17.1、厚0.4釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾基金捐購
器物編號: F1939.21

Provenance: 1928-1929
Reportedly discovered in tomb located in in Jincun, Honan Province, China. [1]

?-1939
Zhang Naiji (1899-1948), Shanghai and New York, from at least February 1939 [2]

From 1939
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased through C. T. Loo & Company, New York from Zhang Naiji on April 17, 1939 [3]

Notes:

[1] The pendant traditionally was said to have been excavated at Jincun in Luoyang, Henan province based on information provided by Zhang Naiji to John E. Lodge at the time of acquisition, see J.E. Lodge's note, 1939, in F1939.6 object file. Several tombs near Chin ts'un (Jincun) in Western Honan were discovered in the summer of 1928 after heavy rain, when sinkholes began to emerge. Immediately upon discovery, the tombs were heavily scavenged by locals. Only two tombs were systematically excavated (See: William Charles White, Tombs of Old Lo-Yang: A Record of the Construction and Contents of a group of Royal Tombs at Chin-ts'un, probably dating to 550 bc. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh Limited, 1934 and William Charles White, "China's Cultural Heritage" in Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada vol. 37 (1943): 151).

[2] See object information sheet and "List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art," approved on February 1, 1939, Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, copies in object file. According to an annotation on the list, the purchase was made from C. T. Loo & Company, New York acting as agent for Zhang Naiji and the payment was made on April 17, 1939. Zhang Naiji (also known as N.C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938. Zhang did not return to China until 1946. While the earliest documentation of Zhang's ownership of the jade dates to February 1939, we know that he acquired the objects in China before his departure.

[3] See "List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art," cited in note 1.

Previous owner(s): Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)
C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)
C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 (1880-1957)

Description: Ceremonial weapon. Blade (ge type) of gray green, translucent nephrite with paler mottling. Tang indicated. One hole for suspension (?).

Past label text: 1. Ancient Chinese Jade, September 4, 1980–March 6, 1981; by Julia K. Murray (shown with F1939.19, F1939.20, F1919.17, F1941.3, F1919.13, and F1917.396).

The blade known as ge 戈, based on the shape of the metal dagger axe, is first found at the early Shang 商 site of Erlitou 二里頭, Henan 河南. A ge 戈 consists of a long blade beveled to a sharp edge on the sides, usually with a median crest; a projecting crosspiece with a perforation at the base of the blade; and a narrower butt, or tang, which may be plain or ribbed. Ge 戈 blades display great variations in size, from miniature to enormous. This variety of size is understandable in view of the fact that the jade blades were intended only for ceremonial and symbolic purposes, rather than for practical use. Small ge 戈 blades are occasionally mounted in bronze handles, usually adorned with inlaid turquoise.

Curatorial Remarks

1. Bought through C. T. Loo and Company, New York, from Chang Nai chi [Zhang Naiji] 張乃驥. For price, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List After 1920.

2. (John Ellerton Lodge, 1939) See Folder F1939.6, Paragraph 2.

3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) This is a reproduction in little of the same type of ko [ge] 戈 as our much earlier F1917.396. As far as the form of the blade goes, the hole in the tang may be said to be functional; but it seems quite possible that miniatures of this sort were made only for burial with the dead. See folder F1917.396, Paragraph 2, and F1919.17 and F1919.61.

4. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.946. Decomposition prevents an accurate calculation for nephrite.

5. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Attribution changed from "Chou [Zhou] 周 dynasty, late" to "Late Shang 商."

6. (Julia K. Murray, 1980) Attribution changed from "Late Shang 商" to "Early Western Chou [Zhou] 周, ca. 10th century BCE." Exhibition Ancient Chinese Jade label text; moved to label field.

7. (Julia K. Murray, 1982) For a general discussion of jade ko [ge] 戈, see Folder Sheet F1917.396. Compared to ko [ge] 戈 blades excavated from Shang 商 sites, the ko [ge] 戈 F1939.21 is longer, narrower, and straighter in shape and farther removed from the bronze weapon prototype that inspired the evolution of the jade ko [ge] 戈. Therefore, it is provisionally reattributed to the Western Chou [Zhou] 周 period. An unusual feature is that one side of the butt edge is beveled instead of being cut straight.

8. (Stephen Allee as per Keith Wilson, June 16, 2008) As per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, changed Date from "ca. 10th century BCE" to "ca. 1050--771 BCE." Also changed Object name from "Weapon: halberd (ge 戈)" to "Jewelry (pendant)"; changed Title from "Ceremonial weapon" to "Ge 戈 shaped pendant." Added Previous Owner to Constituents (Zhang Naiqi, 1897--1977). Added Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.

9. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 16, 2008) Jewelry added as secondary classification.

10. (Stephen Allee, March 23, 2009) Added designation "nephrite" to Medium per Janet Douglas using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (January 8, 2009).

11. (Stephen Allee, June 2, 2009) Corrected name of Previous Owner from Zhang Naiqi to Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 and added Chinese characters, as well as his life dates (1899--1948) and a brief biography.

12. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, May 24, 2010) Changed Object name from "Jewelry (pendant)" to "Jewelry."
13. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, January 13, 2020) Title changed from "Ge-shaped pendant" to "Dagger-axe (ge 戈)"; Object Name changed from "Jewelry" to "Ceremonial object"; and added Chinese Caption by Jingmin Zhang.

14. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, October 4, 2024) Classification changed from "Jewelry and Ornament" to "Ceremonial Object."

Published References

J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Archibald Gibson Wenley. Early Chinese Jade. vol. 63, no. 5 Washington, November 1946. p. 343.

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Dagger-axe (ge 戈)

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