CHINA, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD-SHANG DYNASTY, 2ND MILLENNIUM BC

Details

A BLACKISH OPAQUE JADE CEREMONIAL BLADE, ZHANG
CHINA, LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD-SHANG DYNASTY, 2ND MILLENNIUM BC
The slightly waisted blade flaring towards the curved and beveled cutting edge, and carved on one side with linear decoration between notched teeth at the edges, the haft with a single hole drilled from one side, the opaque stone of mottled blackish color with faint network of fine pale grey markings on one side, the stone with soft polish, and patches of earth encrustation on the plain reverse
11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm.) long, box

Provenance

The Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, New York, before 2000.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Gemma Sudlow

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Lot Essay

A jade zhang of similar shape, also carved on one side with lines joining the teeth at the edges, but thinner, from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, was sold at Christie's New York, 25 March 2010, lot 1037. Another described as dark grey, which exhibits paler markings somewhat similar to, but more pronounced than, those on the present zhang is in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Chinese Jade throughout the ages, 1 May - 22 June 1975, no. 22, but at the time was dated late Western or early Eastern Zhou dynasty.

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