Blade
2500 BC-2000 BC (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Knife-shaped and axe-shaped blades made from stone were probably working tools in Neolithic societies. The Chinese also made blades from jade. This beautiful mineral is hard but brittle, so the blades are unlikely to have been put to practical use. Instead they would have been held by chieftains as symbols of authority. Large quantities of jade blades have been excavated in different regions in China, indicating their widespread use over a span of more than 3,000 years.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Nephrite jade |
| Brief description | Neolithic grey green rectangular knife |
| Physical description | Looks like a rectangular tablet, with one hole drilled at the top and two holes along one side. Grey green/brownish-yellow with light and dark mottling. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Production | James Watt opinon 11/6/1987: earlier than Western Zhou; late Neolithic/early Shang. Wen Guang opinon 12/5/00: the stone was from xi-bei and contemporary with Qijia/Longshan 2500-2000 BC. It was no longer available after W. Zhou. |
| Summary | Knife-shaped and axe-shaped blades made from stone were probably working tools in Neolithic societies. The Chinese also made blades from jade. This beautiful mineral is hard but brittle, so the blades are unlikely to have been put to practical use. Instead they would have been held by chieftains as symbols of authority. Large quantities of jade blades have been excavated in different regions in China, indicating their widespread use over a span of more than 3,000 years. |
| Bibliographic reference | Rawson, Jessica and Ayers, John. Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, London : Oriental Ceramics Society, 1975
no.24 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.67-1936 |
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| Record created | August 26, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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