Description
This impressive blade combines the beauty of material, precision of geometry, and mastery of technique. The fine polish, silken sheen, and extreme thinness (only 2 mm thick) make it an outstanding example of meticulous workmanship in ancient jade craft. Recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground.
Provenance
Dredrich-Abbes Collection, ?-1959 (?-1959); Dr. Arthur M. Sackler Collection, 1959-2009, consigned for sale at Christie's New York (1959-2009); (Fine Chinese Art from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Christie's New York, NY, 18 March 2009, sale 2268, lot 275, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art). (2009); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2009-present (2009-)
Accession Number
2009.83
Medium
jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
Overall: 35.2 cm (13 7/8 in.)
Classification
Jade
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection