† A DARK GREEN JADE AXE, YUE, LATE SHANG DYNASTY

拍品描述

† A DARK GREEN JADE AXE, YUE, LATE SHANG DYNASTY Expert authentication: Dr. Gu Fang has examined the present lot and confirms its authenticity and suggests a dating to the late Shang dynasty. He assessed it as a piece of notably good quality. A copy of Dr. Gu's expertise, dated 23 August 2007, accompanies this lot. Dr. Gu Fang (born 1962) is an internationally renowned scholar of Chinese art and a leading authority on jades. He graduated from the Department of Archaeology at the prestigious Beijing University in 1986 and later studied at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), where he now serves as a Senior Fellow specializing in archaeological excavations and Chinese jade research. A former visiting scholar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, he has authored several books on Chinese jades, including the 15-volume The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China (2007), one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, as well as Chinese Jade: The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Jade in China (2012). China, circa 1200 BC. The thin blade flaring gently towards the curved cutting edge, drilled from one side with two circular apertures, and flanked by ridged teeth at the long edges. The opaque stone of dark green almost black color with few semi-translucent areas of lighter olive green and few gray veins. Dimensions: Length 27.8 cm (excl. stand), Height 31.4 cm (incl. stand) With a modern stand. (2) The yue was an ancient long-handled weapon and instrument of execution, symbolic of noble authority. Evidence suggests that these axes played a part in ritual beheadings in addition to being symbols of power. Literature comparison: Compare a related ceremonial axe, dated 13th-11th century BC, 11.4 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 17.118.45. Compare a related jade axe, qi, in the Shanghai Museum. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2704 Price: HKD 350,000 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar color of the jade and near-identical form. Note the much smaller size (18.5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 15 December 2016, lot 50 Price: EUR 21,250 or approx. EUR 26,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar form and decoration. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

图片