Dagger-axe (ge 戈) with bird, fragment reworked

1. Bought from Lai Yuan and Company 來遠公司, New York. For price, see Original Miscellaneous List, p. 194.
 
2. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Original attribution: Han 漢. See further, S.I. 886, Appendix VII.
 
3. (John Ellerton Lodge, 1928) Late Chou [Zhou] 周 dynasty.
 
4. (Isabel Ingram Mayer, 1945) Shang 商 dynasty.
 
5. (Julia K. Murray, 1982) For a general discussion of jade ko [ge] 戈, see Folder Sheet F1917.396.

Miniature ko [ge] 戈 blades seem to have been made as pendant ornaments (see Folder Sheet F1979.33) and a few late Shang 商 examples are decorated with bird heads on the tang (see Ma Te-chih [Ma Dezhi] 馬得志, Chou Yung-chen [Zhou Yongzhen] 周永珍 and Chang Yun-p'eng [Zhang Yunpeng] 張雲鵬, "1953 nien Anyang Ta-ssu-k'ung ts'un fa-chueh pao-kao [1953 nian Anyang Dasikong cun fajue baogao 一九五三年安陽大司空村發掘報告," K'ao ku hsueh pao [Kaogu xuebao] 考古學報 9 (1955), pl. 19: 2; and Chung-kuo she-hui k'e-hsueh-yuan k'ao-ku yen-chiu-suo Anyang kung-tso-tui [Zhongguo shehui kexuyuan kaogu yanjiusuo Anyang gongzuodui] 中國社會科學院考古研究所安陽工作隊, "1969--1977 nien Yin-hsu hsi-ch'u mu-tsang fa-chueh pao-kao [1969--1977 nian Yinxu xiqu muzang fajue baogao] 1969--1977年殷墟西區墓葬發掘報告," K'ao ku hsueh pao [Kaogu xuebao] 考古學報 1979.1, p. 101, fig. 76: 8, for two from Anyang 安陽). The crest and wings of the bird in the present example are truncated, perhaps indicating that the handle has been cut down. Another indication that the pendant has been reworked is the fact that its sides are cut straight instead of being beveled to a blade edge. The surface details of the bird motif are executed in broadly incised channels, giving the appearance of thread relief.
 
6. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 17, 2008) Jewelry added as secondary classification.
 
7. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 29, 2010) Object Name changed from "Miniature blade" to "Ceremonial object."

8. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, August 21, 2017) Title changed from "Miniature blade" to "Dagger-axe (ge 戈) with bird, fragment reworked"; changed Period One from "Shang dynasty" to "Late Shang dynasty"; Period Two added "Anyang period"; Date changed from "ca. 1600-1050 BCE" to "ca. 1300-ca. 1050 BCE"; Geography changed from "China" to "China, probably Henan province, Anyang".

9. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, February 14, 2019) Added Chinese Translation by Jingmin Zhang; removed the following from the Description field, "Miniature blade: Ornament in form of miniature curved blad with two conical perforations; drilled from the same side, gray and terra-cotta color with traces of ochre stain; blade bevelled, handle in form of crested bird, decoration incised on one side, in relief on the other; satin smooth surface except for area of granular white disintegration on one side. (Tip of blade slightly chipped). Box."

Added the following to the Description field, "Miniature blade. Ornament in form of miniature curved blade with two conical perforations drilled from the same side; gray and terra cotta color with traces of ochre stain; blade beveled, handle in form of crested bird, decoration incised on one side, in relief on the other; satin smooth surface except for area of granular white disintegration on one side. (Tip of blade slightly chipped.) Acquired with a box, now lost."

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