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† A LARGE MOTTLED GREEN AND RUSSET JADE AXE, LIANGZHU CULTURE
奥地利
2024年12月17日 开拍
拍品描述
? A LARGE MOTTLED GREEN AND RUSSET JADE AXE, LIANGZHU CULTURE

China, circa 2700-2500 BC. The thick blade is carved in a pear shape, widening towards its beveled edge, with a narrow end pierced by a large hafting hole. The semi-translucent stone features a mossy dark-green and pale yellowish tone, accented with russet patches, veins, and dark inclusions. The fine polish gives the piece an overall unctuous feel.

Provenance: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 2 December 2017, lot 21. Collection of Dr. Ben Essex, acquired from the above. A copy of the invoice from Galerie Zacke, dated 2 December 2017 and stating a purchase price for the present lot of EUR 4,917 or approx. EUR 6,400 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Dr. Ben Essex is a noted English collector of ancient Chinese works of art. He inherited an impressive collection from his grandfather Max Lowenson, and has been expanding it with great verve and passion for decades. Today, pieces from Dr. Essex's collection are housed in the National Museum of Wales.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with ancient wear and natural imperfections including fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks.

Weight: 972 g
Dimensions: Length 25 cm

Expert opinion:
According to Prof. Filippo Salviati, who examined the piece for Galerie Zacke in 2017, “This rather unsophisticated yet remarkably beautiful axe was carved from a substantial block of nephrite. The slightly asymmetrical outline of the oblong blade likely resulted from adapting the shape to the natural irregularities of the raw material. The smaller butt, compared to the rounded cutting edge, is pierced with a hole drilled from both sides, allowing the weapon to be secured to a wooden shaft with ropes. The hole and borders are smoothed, and the entire jade surface is finely polished, enhancing its natural structure. Numerous inclusions have darkened much of the surface from light green to almost black. In two areas—one near the top and another on the side—the unaltered green jade is bordered by a russet hue, indicating oxidized iron, with these contours following the natural cracks that cross other parts of the surface.”
A professor of archeology and art history at the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies at the Sapienza University of Rome, Prof. Salviati has researched and published extensively on Chinese archaic art. A professor of archeology and art history at the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies at the Sapienza University of Rome, Prof. Salviati has researched and published extensively on Chinese archaic art.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Liangzhu culture jade axe, 17.5 cm long, dated to the 3rd to 2nd millennium BC, in the British Museum, accession number 2022,3034.48.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2015, lot 466
Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A mottled yellowish-green buff and brown jade axe, China, Neolithic period, 3rd millennium BC.
Expert remark: Compare the related form and stone with similar colors, beveled edge, and hafting hole. Note the different size (14.5 cm).



13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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拍品估价:800 - 1,600 欧元 起拍价格:800 欧元  买家佣金: 35.00%

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