H x W x D (overall): 11.5 × 15.1 × 1.5 cm (4 1/2 × 5 15/16 × 9/16 in)
Diam: 3.1 cm (1 1/4 in)
Culture:
Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE Search this
Type:
Ceremonial Object
Origin:
probably Hangzhou, Lake Tai region, China
Date:
ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE
Period:
Late Neolithic period
Description:
Ceremonial axe with evenly rounded cutting edge, tapering slightly toward the blunt and almost straight butt; large biconical hole drilled slightly off-center toward the butt; purplish gray stone with darker purple mottlings. (One corner broken, chipped cutting edge).
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Search this
Credit Line:
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler