Dagger-axe (ge 戈), fragment reworked

1. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Jade ge 戈 blades of this general type were unearthed at Anyang 安陽, Honan [Henan] 河南 province, in the Shang 商 dynasty Tomb 5. See Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo 中國社會科學院考古研究所, Yinxu Fu Hao mu 殷墟婦好墓 (Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe, 1980), pls. 107--11. It should be noted, however, that none of the jade ge 戈 from tomb 5 has the stepped decoration at the butt end of the tang. Three jade ge 戈 embellished in that distinctive manner are in the Winthrop collection, Harvard University (1943.50.56, 1943.50.17, and 1943.50.106). See Max Loehr, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1975), pp. 64--65, nos. 47--49.

2. (Stephen Allee, June 17, 2008) As per Jenny F. So, Jade Project Database, changed Period one from "Shang 商dynasty" to "Late Shang 商 dynasty"; changed Date from "13th--12th centuries BCE" to "12th--11th century BCE." Changed Object Name from "Weapon: dagger-axe (ge 戈) blade" to "Ceremonial object." Added Dimensions (H x W X D: 31.10 x 9.68 x 0.83) as per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.
 
3. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 16, 2008) Ceremonial object added as secondary classification.

4. (Stephen Allee, March 25, 2009) Changed Medium from "Jade" to "Jade (?)," as no scientific analysis is recorded. As per Keith Wilson, added "Anyang 安陽 period" to Period two.
 
5. (Jeffrey Smith per Janet Douglas, October 1, 2010) Jade confirmed as medium based on conservation analysis.
 
6. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, October 20, 2010) Changed "Anyang 安陽" to "Late Anyang 安陽 period."

7. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 16, 2017) Title changed from "Dagger-axe (ge)" to "Dagger-axe (ge 戈), fragment reworked"; period one changed from "Late Shang dynasty" to "Erlitou culture or early Shang dynasty"; date changed from "ca. 12th-11th century BCE" to "ca. 2000-ca. 1400 BCE"; geography changed from "China" to "China, probably Henan province"; medium changed from "Jade" to "Jade (nephrite)"; dimensions changed from "H x W x D: 31.1 x 9.7 x 0.8 cm (12 1/4 x 3 13/16 x 5/16 in)" to "H x W x D: 9.7 x 31.1 x 0.8 cm (3 13/16 x 12 1/4 x 5/16 in)"; removed "Late Anyang period" from period two.

8. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, February 1, 2019) Added Chinese translation by Jingmin Zhang; added the following to the description field, "This jade ge blade is beveled along the upper and lower edges. The tip of the blade is not beveled but has sloping faces. A prominent median ridge runs from the tip of the blade, through the central perforation, to the tang. One corner of the butt end of the tang is decorated with two receding steps. (Mostly calcified; few nicks, mostly old; brown surface substance; ridge depressed one side—flaw?)"; and added past label text by Thomas Lawton from the exhibition, In Praise of Ancestors.