AN ARCHAIC BROZNE AXE HEAD, YUE , WITH INSCRIPTION
Ref. no.:
2315
Provenance:
1. Collection of an important collector Li Taifen(1896—1972)
2. Property of the Sano Art Museum, Mishima City, Shizuoka
Material:
Bronze
This is solid material - DI best
Age:
Late Shang Dynasty c.1300-1050 B.C.
Dimensions
9.2 x 18.7 cm
Description:
Extended from a rectangular tang with T-scroll motifs on the periphery and a central hole, the wide flattened blade flared towards the curved cutting edge. Two rectangular slits cast on the guard for the use of fixing the axe head to handle. A large hole cast in the centre of the blade, above which a convex bowstring decorated under the guard, overall in grey and green patina with areas of heavy malachite encrustation.
Two characters cast on the upper half of the tang on both sides in a square frame read ya fu . Three other axe heads bear the same inscription were recorded in Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS) ed., Yin Zhou jin wen ji cheng (Collection of Bronze Inscriptions from the Shang & Zhou Dynasties), 1984-1994, vol., no.11747, no.11748 and no.11749. The pattern and shape of no. 11749 is very similar with this axe head, but the size of no.11749 is smaller.
PROVENANCE
1. Collection of an important collector Li Taifen(1896—1972)
2. Property of the Sano Art Museum, Mishima City, Shizuoka