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Five Millennia of Chinese…es of a Spritual Journey
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Five Millennia of Chinese Art: Images of a Spritual Journey.iso
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1994-11-29
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741b
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27 lines
Archaic Jade Ch'i Axe
Chou Dynasty
(1122-221 B.C.)
Length: 23.1cm
Width: 14.0cm
Thickness: 0.95cm
The ch'i was a kind of
battle-axe. Those rendered
in jade were based on stone
prototypes. Many were used
ceremonially; others were
brandished in ancient dances.
Twin dragons surmount the
piece, each one a hydra with
a secondary beaked head.
The serpents intertwine down
to the tangs which are
composed of two small "k'uei"
dragons. The main field is
dominated by a square spiral
design. The cutting edge is
beveled and damaged by what
is thought to be a purposeful
defacement. The scar reveals
dark russet colors which
stain the otherwise cream-
white jade stone.