Jades for Life and Death

Classification: Ceremonial Object

Maker(s): Artist: Liangzhu culture 良渚 (ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE)

Historical period(s): Late Neolithic period, ca. 3300-2250 BCE

Object Date: ca. 3300-2250 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 10.7 × 8.9 × 0.7 cm (4 3/16 × 3 1/2 × 1/4 in) Diam (hole): 2.7 cm (1 1/16 in)

Origin: China, Lake Tai region, but purportedly found at Xi’an, Shaanxi

Notes: but purportedly found at Xi’an, Shaanxi

Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Accession Number: F1917.379

: 斧
新石器時代晚期良渚文化（公元前3300--2250年）
中國太湖地區，原傳陝西西安出土
軟玉
高8.9、寬10.7、厚0.6釐米
孔徑2.7釐米
查爾斯·蘭·佛利爾贈送
器物編號：F1917.379

Provenance: Reportedly excavated at Hsi-an, Shensi [1]

To 1917
You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1917 [2]

From 1917 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi in 1917 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] According to Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1319, pg. 301, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[3] See note 2.

[4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous owner(s): You Xiaoxi 游篠溪 (C.L. Freer source) (late 19th-early 20th century)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

Description: Object of thin, rectangular axe head shape, of the type fu 斧 or yueh [yue] 鉞; large circular perforation bored from both sides leaving sharp median ridge; one surface mottled yellow, orange, and reddish to dark browns with traces of silvery film; opposite surface is mottled olive greens, gray, cream, and black. (Corner and blade chipped.)

Acquired with a box, now lost.

Curatorial Remarks

1. Bought from Seaouke Yue [You Xiaoxi] 游筱溪, of Shanghai 上海. Said to have been excavated at Hsi an [Xi'an] 西安, Shensi [Shaanxi] 陝西. For price, see Original Miscellaneous List, p. 301. $75.

2. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Original attribution: Chinese. Hsia [Xia] 夏. See further, S.I. 1319, Appendix VIII.

3. (Undated Folder Sheet note) Sp. G. is 2.922.

4. (Archibald Gibson Wenley, 1945) Chou [Zhou] 周 dynasty.

5. (Elisabeth West Fitzhugh, 1956) X ray diffraction analysis. Nephrite. Film F 127. February 16, 1956.

6. (Thomas Lawton, 1978) Late Shang 商--Early Western Chou [Zhou] 周.

7. (Julia K. Murray, 1982) For a general discussion of jade axes, see Folder Sheet F1918.35.

8. (Stephen Allee per Keith Wilson, February 29, 2008) On this date entered: Period One (Late Neolithic period), Date (3300--2250 BCE), Artist (Liangzhu 良渚 culture), Title, Object name, Geographical region (Lake Tai 太湖 region); plus Dimensions per Christine Lee, from Jade Project Database.

9. (Stephen Allee, June 11, 2008) Added designation "nephrite" to Medium as per Elizabeth West Fitzhugh in February 1956, as determined by x ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy.

10. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 17, 2008) Ceremonial object added as secondary classification. Title changed from "Axe (fu 斧 or yue 鉞)" to "Axe (fu 斧)."

11. (Jeffrey Smith, April 4, 2016) Transferred from Description: Object of thin, rectangular axe-head shape, of the type "fu" or "yueh;" large circular perforation bored from both sides leaving sharp median ridge; one surface mottled yellow, orange and reddish to dark browns with traces of silvery film; opposite surface is mottled olive greens, gray, cream, and black. Corner and blade chipped. Box.

Published References

J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .

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Axe (fu 斧)

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