Axehead (yue)

Culture Chinese

Dateprobably Shang Dynasty, 1766–1122 BCE

Mediumbronze

Dimensions19 × 8.7 × 0.5 cm (7 1/2 × 3 7/16 × 3/16 in.), 13.4 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.607

DescriptionWide, flat, nearly rectangular blade of bronze, flaring slightly at convex cutting edge, & opposed by rectangular projection. Both are pierced with a single, circular hole near mid-height. That of the axeblade is larger (.013 diameter), while the hole through tang measures .01 in diameter. Narrow lugs projecting above & below at middle. Undecorated.
Label TextChinese artisans excelled in bronze craft, which was chiefly used for ritual and military purposes. Since deposits of tin and copper are not geographically widespread, it was relatively easy for early Chinese rulers to establish a monopoly on bronze production. Axes like this one were made in various sizes for use as battlefield weapons and execution implements. More ornate ones served as insignia of rank, a function which endured during the succeeding Zhou Dynasty, long after they fell out of favor as weapons.ProvenancePurchased by the J.W. Higgins Armory from Herbert J. Devine, 59 East 57th Street, New York, New York on May 8, 1936 (dealer no. 33). Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, Janaury 2014.

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