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A FINE CHINESE NEOLITHIC VOTIVE AXE, c.2rd Mi

Currency:AUD Category:Antiques / Asian Antiques Start Price:500.00 AUD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 AUD
A FINE CHINESE NEOLITHIC VOTIVE AXE, c.2rd Mi
A FINE CHINESE NEOLITHIC VOTIVE AXE, c.2rd Mill. BC, the translucent ground jade section pierced with two apertures and edge ground blade, exceptional smooth finish, glossy patina, 34x19cm Provenance: From the collection of a Hong Kong resident; for further information regarding these artefacts c.f: Rawson J. 1995, Chinese Jade From the Neolithic to Qing, Exhibition Catalogue, The British Museum, London, p.13. See also Bahn 1992:#...[this] semiprecious stone used in East Asia from the Neolithic periods...for ornamental and ritual objects...It cannot be cut or flaked but must be worked through abrasion...[the] Hongshan an [Archaeological] site in Liaoning Province, China, giving its name to a precocious Northeastern Neolithic culture of surprising complexity. Outstripping the Yangshao and early Dawenkou cultures of north and central China, the Hongshan has elaborate jade and stone ornaments...substantial temple sites...It is dated to c.3,500-3,000 BC...# Bahn P. (ed) 1992, Collins Dictionary of Archaeology, HarperCollins, Glasgow, p.p.217 & 234