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Lot Essay
As the thick, solid 'blade' has no cutting edge, it is probable that this piece was made as a staff finial.
Bronze finials of this type, which are lacking inlay, include one in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, The Art of Eastern Chou, 772-221 B.C., Chinese Art Society of America, New York, 1962, no. 27. Another from The Sze Yuan Tang Collection was sold at Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 853. Other related examples, from the Jin State, are illustrated in Wenwu 1989:6, pp. 1-21, fig. 16.2 and Wenwu 1989:9, pp. 59-86, fig. 31.
A ge dagger axe dated to the Spring and Autumn period, cast with an openwork dragon biting the end of the blade decorated with a scroll pattern in gold inlay, in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 27 - Bronze Ritual Vessels and Musical Instruments, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 276, no. 170. (Fig. 1)
Bronze finials of this type, which are lacking inlay, include one in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, The Art of Eastern Chou, 772-221 B.C., Chinese Art Society of America, New York, 1962, no. 27. Another from The Sze Yuan Tang Collection was sold at Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 853. Other related examples, from the Jin State, are illustrated in Wenwu 1989:6, pp. 1-21, fig. 16.2 and Wenwu 1989:9, pp. 59-86, fig. 31.
A ge dagger axe dated to the Spring and Autumn period, cast with an openwork dragon biting the end of the blade decorated with a scroll pattern in gold inlay, in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 27 - Bronze Ritual Vessels and Musical Instruments, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 276, no. 170. (Fig. 1)