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Source 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168196
label
Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168196
contentType
object
title
Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)
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.
date
2000–1700 BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757239
genreSpecific
Jade
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 35.2 cm (13 7/8 in.)
cul
Northwest China, Neolithic period to Bronze Age, Qijia culture (2000–1700 BCE)
accession
2009.83
Source extras
tec
jade (nephrite)
tombstone
Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao) (有孔玉刀), 2000–1700 BCE. Northwest China, Neolithic period to Bronze Age, Qijia culture (2000–1700 BCE). Jade (nephrite); overall: 35.2 cm (13 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Collection, 2009.83
titleInOriginalLanguage
有孔玉刀
collection
China - Neolithic
didYouKnow
Although it may look made of metal, this blade is actually skillfully worked jade.
citations
citation
Loehr, Max and Louisa G. Fitzgerald Huber. <em>Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University: [Exhibited ... January 22-March 18, 1975]</em>. Cambridge, Mass: Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1975.
page_number
cat. no 207, p. 162
citation
Shaanxi Sheng kao gu yan jiu suo, and Yulin Shi wen wu bao hu yan jiu suo 陕西省考古硏究所, 榆林市文物保护研究所.<em> Shen mu xin hua </em>神木新华. Beijing: Ke xue chu ban she, 2005.
page_number
pp. 114-115
citation
Christie's New York, NY. <em>Fine Chinese Art from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections</em>. Sale 2286.18 March 2009. Lot no. 275.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: lot no. 275 pp.4 and 42
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:39:13.099000
sourceId
168196
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Neolithic
med
jade (nephrite)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
dc5dd0257b49c69d