Forked blade (zhang 璋)
Ceremonial implement of nephrite; slightly concave on both sides; lateral edges flare to form a sharp concave edge at the end, with a prominent lateral projection on each side above a perforated tang; longitudinal saw marks and roughly chipped end on handle; greenish black faintly mottled with lighter tone. (Slightly chipped.)
Acquired with a box, now lost.
(Jenny F. So, from Jade Project Database) Dark grayish olive “puddingstone.” Thick, with slightly concave surfaces on both faces. Asymmetrical curved top, beveled like “W” on one (“front”) face. Conical hole, drilled from face without beveled top. Slice mark runs lengthwise on front face, ending at base of tang. Blunt single notches on each side of base of blade.
- Provenance
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To 1916
You Xiaoxi, Shanghai, to 1916 [1]From 1916 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi, in New York in 1916 [2]From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]Notes:
[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1037, pg. 230, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[2] See note 1.
[3] 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) and Custodian(s)
-
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
You Xiaoxi (C.L. Freer source) late 19th-early 20th century
- Description
-
Ceremonial implement of nephrite; slightly concave on both sides; lateral edges flare to form a sharp concave edge at the end, with a prominent lateral projection on each side above a perforated tang; longitudinal saw marks and roughly chipped end on handle; greenish black faintly mottled with lighter tone. (Slightly chipped.)
Acquired with a box, now lost.
(Jenny F. So, from Jade Project Database) Dark grayish olive "puddingstone." Thick, with slightly concave surfaces on both faces. Asymmetrical curved top, beveled like "W" on one ("front") face. Conical hole, drilled from face without beveled top. Slice mark runs lengthwise on front face, ending at base of tang. Blunt single notches on each side of base of blade.
- Published References
-
- J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
- You Xiaoxi, Hsiao-chi Yu in, Chi-Tseng Chang. "游筱溪." Masterpieces of Chinese National Art: The Collection of Mr. Seaouke'e Yue. Shanghai, 1916. no. 13.
- Grace Dunham Guest, Archibald Gibson Wenley. Annotated Outlines of the History of Chinese Arts. Washington, 1949. p. 6.
- Minao Hayashi. Chūgoku kodai no ishibōchōkei gyokki to kotsusenkei gyokki [Two Types of Prehistorical Chinese Ceremonial Jade Objects: Stone Harvesting Knives and Bone Spades]. no. 54, 1982. p. 54, fig. 59.
- Minao Hayashi. Chūgoku kogyoku no kenkyū. Tokyo, 1991. p. 483, fig. 6: 88.
- Collection Area(s)
- Chinese Art
- Web Resources
- Jades for Life and Death
- Google Cultural Institute
- CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
-
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
-
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-F1916.491_001