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AXE Jade. Late Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, c.3300-2200 BC ?? - ????, ???33??-?32?? ? 23.4 ??; ??
Auctioneer has chosen not to publish the price of this lot
Wien
Description
AXE
Jade. Late Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, c.3300-2200 BC
?? - ????, ???33??-?32??
? 23.4 ??; ?? 14 ??; ? ? 17.5 ??; ?? 3.8 ??
The axe has a trapezoidal profile, with the lateral sides gently sloping down towards the evenly rounded and slightly bevelled cutting edge. The sloping sides are smoothed down, so that the axe has an overall lenticular cross-section. The entire surface of the jade has been polished to such a high lustre that the surface reflects and shines brightly when exposed to strong light. The butt is less finished than the rest of the axe and presents a rough, pronounced ridge with soil encrustations which has not been smoothed down during the polishing. This is due to the fact that this portion of the weapon was not visible once the axe had been inserted into a shaft cut in the wooden handle. The perforation too does not show the same degree of finish as the rest of the axe: the hole has been drilled from both sides leaving a small ridge in between. Around the walls of the perforation spiralling toolmarks left by the rotatory bamboo tube used together with sand abrasives are clearly visible. Similarly to the butt, this area has been left unpolished since it was not visible when the axe was secured on the handle with ropes passing through the hole, hence hiding it from sight. The nephrite jade is full of inclusions which generate hues grading from light green to dark brown. The densely packed crystal aggregates which form the structure of the jade are visible to the naked eye due to the thorough polishing of the axe.
Imposing stone and jade axes were an important symbol of status in Neolithic China, and they have been found in vast numbers in the elite burials of the Liangzhu culture. Generally speaking, the stone axes have a more rounded profile and less sharpened cutting edge, as in the present example, while the jade axes have a squarer outline and are more sharpened. Though in jade, this axe exhibits features which are more commonly seen on stone axes. Examples of this ‘hybridization’ are attested amongst the Liangzhu culture finds, such as the jade axe found in tomb M9:18 of the Fuquanshan site, Qingpu, Shanghai and published in Shanghai city cultural relics board of management, Report on the excavation of the Fuquanshan Neolithic site (in Chinese), Beijing 2000, pl.9:1. A jade axe with similar features from the Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Collection is also in The Art Institute, Chicago, acc. no. 1950.510. Another comparable stone axe in metasomatic rock is in the Freer/Sackler Galleries of Art, Washington, D.C., acc. no. F1919.39.
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati, Mysterious Jades of Ancient China, Edition Zacke 2014.
LENGTH 23.4 CM, TOP WIDTH 14 CM, BOTTOM WIDTH 17.5 CM, DIAMETER OF HOLE 3.8 CM
From an Italian private collection
Starting price: 4,000
Jade. Late Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, c.3300-2200 BC
?? - ????, ???33??-?32??
? 23.4 ??; ?? 14 ??; ? ? 17.5 ??; ?? 3.8 ??
The axe has a trapezoidal profile, with the lateral sides gently sloping down towards the evenly rounded and slightly bevelled cutting edge. The sloping sides are smoothed down, so that the axe has an overall lenticular cross-section. The entire surface of the jade has been polished to such a high lustre that the surface reflects and shines brightly when exposed to strong light. The butt is less finished than the rest of the axe and presents a rough, pronounced ridge with soil encrustations which has not been smoothed down during the polishing. This is due to the fact that this portion of the weapon was not visible once the axe had been inserted into a shaft cut in the wooden handle. The perforation too does not show the same degree of finish as the rest of the axe: the hole has been drilled from both sides leaving a small ridge in between. Around the walls of the perforation spiralling toolmarks left by the rotatory bamboo tube used together with sand abrasives are clearly visible. Similarly to the butt, this area has been left unpolished since it was not visible when the axe was secured on the handle with ropes passing through the hole, hence hiding it from sight. The nephrite jade is full of inclusions which generate hues grading from light green to dark brown. The densely packed crystal aggregates which form the structure of the jade are visible to the naked eye due to the thorough polishing of the axe.
Imposing stone and jade axes were an important symbol of status in Neolithic China, and they have been found in vast numbers in the elite burials of the Liangzhu culture. Generally speaking, the stone axes have a more rounded profile and less sharpened cutting edge, as in the present example, while the jade axes have a squarer outline and are more sharpened. Though in jade, this axe exhibits features which are more commonly seen on stone axes. Examples of this ‘hybridization’ are attested amongst the Liangzhu culture finds, such as the jade axe found in tomb M9:18 of the Fuquanshan site, Qingpu, Shanghai and published in Shanghai city cultural relics board of management, Report on the excavation of the Fuquanshan Neolithic site (in Chinese), Beijing 2000, pl.9:1. A jade axe with similar features from the Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Collection is also in The Art Institute, Chicago, acc. no. 1950.510. Another comparable stone axe in metasomatic rock is in the Freer/Sackler Galleries of Art, Washington, D.C., acc. no. F1919.39.
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati, Mysterious Jades of Ancient China, Edition Zacke 2014.
LENGTH 23.4 CM, TOP WIDTH 14 CM, BOTTOM WIDTH 17.5 CM, DIAMETER OF HOLE 3.8 CM
From an Italian private collection
Starting price: 4,000
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AXE
Jade. Late Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, c.3300-2200 BC
?? - ????, ???33??-?32??
? 23.4 ??; ?? 14 ??; ? ? 17.5 ??; ?? 3.8 ??
The axe has a trapezoidal profile, with the lateral sides gently sloping down towards the evenly rounded and slightly bevelled cutting edge. The sloping sides are smoothed down, so that the axe has an overall lenticular cross-section. The entire surface of the jade has been polished to such a high lustre that the surface reflects and shines brightly when exposed to strong light. The butt is less finished than the rest of the axe and presents a rough, pronounced ridge with soil encrustations which has not been smoothed down during the polishing. This is due to the fact that this portion of the weapon was not visible once the axe had been inserted into a shaft cut in the wooden handle. The perforation too does not show the same degree of finish as the rest of the axe: the hole has been drilled from both sides leaving a small ridge in between. Around the walls of the perforation spiralling toolmarks left by the rotatory bamboo tube used together with sand abrasives are clearly visible. Similarly to the butt, this area has been left unpolished since it was not visible when the axe was secured on the handle with ropes passing through the hole, hence hiding it from sight. The nephrite jade is full of inclusions which generate hues grading from light green to dark brown. The densely packed crystal aggregates which form the structure of the jade are visible to the naked eye due to the thorough polishing of the axe.
Imposing stone and jade axes were an important symbol of status in Neolithic China, and they have been found in vast numbers in the elite burials of the Liangzhu culture. Generally speaking, the stone axes have a more rounded profile and less sharpened cutting edge, as in the present example, while the jade axes have a squarer outline and are more sharpened. Though in jade, this axe exhibits features which are more commonly seen on stone axes. Examples of this ‘hybridization’ are attested amongst the Liangzhu culture finds, such as the jade axe found in tomb M9:18 of the Fuquanshan site, Qingpu, Shanghai and published in Shanghai city cultural relics board of management, Report on the excavation of the Fuquanshan Neolithic site (in Chinese), Beijing 2000, pl.9:1. A jade axe with similar features from the Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Collection is also in The Art Institute, Chicago, acc. no. 1950.510. Another comparable stone axe in metasomatic rock is in the Freer/Sackler Galleries of Art, Washington, D.C., acc. no. F1919.39.
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati, Mysterious Jades of Ancient China, Edition Zacke 2014.
LENGTH 23.4 CM, TOP WIDTH 14 CM, BOTTOM WIDTH 17.5 CM, DIAMETER OF HOLE 3.8 CM
From an Italian private collection
Starting price: 4,000
Jade. Late Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, c.3300-2200 BC
?? - ????, ???33??-?32??
? 23.4 ??; ?? 14 ??; ? ? 17.5 ??; ?? 3.8 ??
The axe has a trapezoidal profile, with the lateral sides gently sloping down towards the evenly rounded and slightly bevelled cutting edge. The sloping sides are smoothed down, so that the axe has an overall lenticular cross-section. The entire surface of the jade has been polished to such a high lustre that the surface reflects and shines brightly when exposed to strong light. The butt is less finished than the rest of the axe and presents a rough, pronounced ridge with soil encrustations which has not been smoothed down during the polishing. This is due to the fact that this portion of the weapon was not visible once the axe had been inserted into a shaft cut in the wooden handle. The perforation too does not show the same degree of finish as the rest of the axe: the hole has been drilled from both sides leaving a small ridge in between. Around the walls of the perforation spiralling toolmarks left by the rotatory bamboo tube used together with sand abrasives are clearly visible. Similarly to the butt, this area has been left unpolished since it was not visible when the axe was secured on the handle with ropes passing through the hole, hence hiding it from sight. The nephrite jade is full of inclusions which generate hues grading from light green to dark brown. The densely packed crystal aggregates which form the structure of the jade are visible to the naked eye due to the thorough polishing of the axe.
Imposing stone and jade axes were an important symbol of status in Neolithic China, and they have been found in vast numbers in the elite burials of the Liangzhu culture. Generally speaking, the stone axes have a more rounded profile and less sharpened cutting edge, as in the present example, while the jade axes have a squarer outline and are more sharpened. Though in jade, this axe exhibits features which are more commonly seen on stone axes. Examples of this ‘hybridization’ are attested amongst the Liangzhu culture finds, such as the jade axe found in tomb M9:18 of the Fuquanshan site, Qingpu, Shanghai and published in Shanghai city cultural relics board of management, Report on the excavation of the Fuquanshan Neolithic site (in Chinese), Beijing 2000, pl.9:1. A jade axe with similar features from the Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Collection is also in The Art Institute, Chicago, acc. no. 1950.510. Another comparable stone axe in metasomatic rock is in the Freer/Sackler Galleries of Art, Washington, D.C., acc. no. F1919.39.
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati, Mysterious Jades of Ancient China, Edition Zacke 2014.
LENGTH 23.4 CM, TOP WIDTH 14 CM, BOTTOM WIDTH 17.5 CM, DIAMETER OF HOLE 3.8 CM
From an Italian private collection
Starting price: 4,000
Charity Auction - Antique Asian Art
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Wien
A-1010
Austria
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The auctioneer will charge 1 % of each bid (even unsuccessful) in favour of the charity project (Burma convent).
Bidders cannot personally attend this sale.(silent auction).
Due to the DIRECTIVE 2011/83/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights (see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083&from=EN), consumers have the right of withdrawal.
