Lot 26A
East Asia, China, Neolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture, ca. 3300 to 2300 BCE. A sleek and solemn relic of early Chinese jade artistry, this elongated adze blade is expertly shaped from dense, mottled black-green nephrite with celadon and ochre inclusions dancing across the polished surface. Its rhomboid form narrows slightly toward a slender, curved edge, while the opposing butt is thick and slightly rounded, signaling its function as a symbolic or ceremonial tool rather than one used for labor. Careful shaping and grinding have rendered the surface smooth, with traces of age-worn polish still visible beneath ancient burial accretions. The proportions are refined, the symmetry deliberate, and the slender silhouette suggests this was not a utilitarian implement but a ritual object imbued with status and cosmological power. Size: 12.8" L x 1.5" W x 1.2" H (32.5 cm x 3.8 cm x 3 cm)
Such jade adzes, known as yue, were integral to the Liangzhu culture's elite mortuary and religious practices. Liangzhu society, flourishing in the Yangtze River Delta, elevated jade above all other materials for its durability, luminous quality, and perceived connection to the heavens. Tools like this one were typically interred in high-status tombs, possibly symbolizing political authority or martial potency in the afterlife. Comparable examples have been excavated from Liangzhu tombs in Zhejiang Province and are now housed in institutions such as the Zhejiang Provincial Museum and the National Museum of China. This example, with its bold veining and darkened patina, offers both a window into prehistoric China and a work of minimalist beauty sculpted over four millennia ago.
Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired from Arts du Monde, imported into the US prior to 2000
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#195441
- Condition: Some chips, nicks, and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age, but, otherwise, mostly intact and excellent with scattered earthen deposits. Two old collection labels on one side.
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