Harvesting knife (hu 笏), fragment

Ceremonial blade of the type hu. Irregular trapezoidal shape. The lower edge is ground to a blunt cutting edge. Along the upper edge, one and a fractional conical perforation, drilled from opposite sides. Closer to the narrower edge, two perforations, drilled from opposite sides. Opaque green gray jade with lighter streaks and spots.

Historical period(s)
Late Neolithic period, ca. 3000-1700 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 6.9 × 22.3 × 0.5 cm (2 11/16 × 8 3/4 × 3/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1970.40
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceremonial Object, Jade
Type

Ceremonial object: harvesting knife (hu)

Keywords
China, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE)
Provenance

Possibly Duanfang (1861-1911) [1]

From at least 1969 to 1970
Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY [2]

From 1970
Freer Gallery of Art, bequeathed by Agnes E. Meyer [3]

Notes:

[1] An inscription on the box with which the jade was acquired, “Zhou, Ting, Taozhai zhen cang," provides a reference to the Taozhai, Duanfang’s studio, indicating that the jade may have been part of the Duanfang collection. The jade is not included in Duanfang’s jade catalogue, Taozhai gu yu tu, published posthumously in 1936 in Shanghai, but it is known that not all jades assembled by Duanfang were included in the catalogue.

[2] The object is included in a codicil to Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament, dated December 23, 1969, copy in object file.

[3] See a codicil to Agnes E. Meyer’s will and testament cited in note 2.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Duanfang 1861-1911
Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer (1875-1959) and (1887-1970)

Description

Ceremonial blade of the type hu. Irregular trapezoidal shape. The lower edge is ground to a blunt cutting edge. Along the upper edge, one and a fractional conical perforation, drilled from opposite sides. Closer to the narrower edge, two perforations, drilled from opposite sides. Opaque green gray jade with lighter streaks and spots.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
  • Thomas Lawton. Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Memorial Exhibition. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 6, pp. 12-13.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
Jades for Life and Death
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