Back to list Socketed yue battle ax with semi-circular blade and seven holes, Late Shang dynasty to early Western Zhou period

Description

This artifact consists of an 18.7-centimeter tube socket and a semi-circular blade with a sharpened edge. The socket is narrower at top and gradually widens, with the diameter of the socket at bottom about twice that at the top. This design likely facilitated the insertion and affixment of a wooden handle into the socket. The wooden handle attached to this artifact may have been added when it was part of the collections of the former Qing Court. The decorative patterns on this artifact are concentrated on the tube socket, which has three band-like decorations, in between which are two large node-like patterns and serrated band patterns. On the back, small raised knobs can be seen, and when these three small raised knobs are linked in a straight line, the traces of mold lines can be found. On the body of the blade, close to the tube socket, seven round holes with raised lines extending to the edges of the blade and the tube socket can be seen, and such decorative features were characteristic of the northern regions.  

Exhibits

• Rituals Cast in Brilliance: Masterpieces of Bronzes in the Museum Collection Ongoing exhibition