Harvesting knife (hu 笏)

Blade. Tannish gray stone cutting blade of uneven shape. The cutting edge, which curves upward on two diagonal planes, is beveled from one side. An irregularity in the flat upper edge of the blade apparently was part of the original, resulting from an imperfection in the material. Two closely placed bi-conical perforations occur along the upper edge of the blade.

Historical period(s)
Late Neolithic period, ca. 3000-2500 BCE
Medium
Stone (schist)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.5 x 13.6 x 0.8 cm (1 3/8 x 5 3/8 x 5/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1979.39
On View Location
Freer Gallery 19: Afterlife: Ancient Chinese Jades
Classification(s)
Ceremonial Object, Jade
Type

Ceremonial object: harvesting knife (hu)

Keywords
Carl Whiting Bishop collection, China, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE)
Provenance

1923-1934
Acquired by Carl Whiting Bishop in China [1]

From 1923-1934 to 1974
Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection [2]

From 1974
Freer Gallery of Art permanent collection, transfer to the Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection [3]

Notes:

[1] Curatorial Remark 9 in the object record.

[2] Curatorial Remark 9 in the object record.

[3] Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office. The object was transferred from the Freer Study Collection (Bishop Collection) to the permanent collection in January 1, 1974.

Description

Blade. Tannish gray stone cutting blade of uneven shape. The cutting edge, which curves upward on two diagonal planes, is beveled from one side. An irregularity in the flat upper edge of the blade apparently was part of the original, resulting from an imperfection in the material. Two closely placed bi-conical perforations occur along the upper edge of the blade.

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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