Forked blade (zhang 璋)

1. Bought from C. T. Loo [Lu Qinzhai] 盧芹齋 and Company, New York. For price, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920.
 
2. (Archibald Gibson Wenley, 1940) Shang 商 dynasty.
 
3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) See Folder Sheet F1916.491, Archibald Gibson Wenley, note 5. For fuller discussion, see Folder Sheet F1916.492, Archibald Gibson Wenley, note 5.
 
4. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.892. Decomposition prevents a higher composition.
 
5. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Late Shang 商--Early Western Chou [Zhou] 周.
 
6. (Elisabeth West Fitzhugh, 1980) Mineral is almost definitely nephrite, from its hardness (6.5) and appearance; exact identification only possible by X ray diffraction.
 
7. (Julia K. Murray, 1982). (Added word Chang [zhang] 璋 above ceremonial implement.) Chang [zhang] 璋 F1939.55 is a somewhat slender version of the typical chang [zhang] 璋. (See Folder Sheet F1916.492 for a general discussion of chang [zhang] 璋.) The perforation is clearly drilled from one side of the slab. The projections flanking the hole are less prominent than on most other examples in the collection.
 
8. (Stephen Allee per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, June 11, 2008) Changed Title from "Ceremonial implement: long slender form with dull edges flaring to sharp concave end" to "Forked chisel (zhang 璋)"; changed  Period from "Shang 商 or Western Zhou 周 dynasty" to "Shang 商"; changed date from "1600--771 BCE" to "ca. 1600--ca. 1050 BCE"; added Description; added Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.
 
9. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 16, 2008) Ceremonial object added as secondary classification.

10. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 15, 2017) Title changed from "Forked blade (zhang)" to "Forked blade (zhang 璋)"; period one changed from "Shang dynasty" to "Late Neolithic period"; date changed from "ca. 1600-ca. 1050 BCE" to "ca. 5000-1700 BCE".

11. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, December 7, 2018) Period one changed from "Late Neolithic period or early Shang dynasty" to "Late Neolithic period"; date changed from "ca. 1600-1300 BCE" to "ca. 3000-1700 BCE"; geography changed from "Sanxingdui, probably Sichuan province, China" to "China"; added Chinese translation by Jingmin Zhang; removed description from "(Jenny So, from Jade Project Database) Reddish- and yellowish-brown with vermicular patches. Long and slender (cf. F1916.369) in proportions with a single, delicate notch on either side of blade (one of which appears to have been broken and ground smooth). Conical hole drilled from back. (File folder) Long slender form with dull edges flaring to a sharp concave end. Lateral projection on each side above perforated tang. Semitranslucent, shaded reddish brown and yellow-brown with dark mottlings; cream colored area of decomposition at end of tang."; added the following description "(Jenny F. So, from Jade Project Database) Reddish  and yellowish brown with vermicular patches. Long and slender (see F1916.369) in proportions with a single, delicate notch on either side of blade (one of which appears to have been broken and ground smooth). Conical hole drilled from back. Ceremonial implement; long slender form with dull edges flaring to a sharp concave end; lateral projection on each side above perforated tang; semitranslucent, shaded reddish-brown and yellow brown with dark mottlings; cream- colored area of decomposition at end of tang."