Lame Archaïque en Bronze, Qu Fin de la Dynastie Shang - début de la Dynastie des Zhou Occidentaux, XIE-XE siècle avant J.-C.

la lame foliacée légèrement asymétrique à la pointe arrondie, la base de la lame ornée d'un masque de taotie et d'un autre masque inversé plus petit sculpté en relief au niveau de la garde délimitée par deux petits ailerons latéraux au-dessus du nei percé, le manche rectangulaire à l'angle supérieur arrondi et l'angle inférieur marqué par une encoche et orné de deux simples sillons, pictogramme, patine verte, en partie lisse, en partie rugueuse, restaurations, D.W 3232

Bronzes Chinois des Dynasties Tcheou, T'sin & Han, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, 1934, no. 64.

Georges Salles, Bronzes Chinois des Dynasties Tcheou, T'sin & Han, Paris, 1934, cat. no. 64 (not illustrated).

The x-ray reveals that the blade is broken ca. 7 cm from the tip of the blade and reattached and possibly reinforced, and a ca. 1cm wide area of loss to upper rim and an associated ca. 1cm wide area of loss to the lower rim. There is another ca. 1cm wide shallow loss to the lower rim near the rip of the blade. There is extensive malachite encrustation to both sides of the blade and handle and traces of earth in the recessed parts of the cast design. The inventory number D.W. 3232 is inscribed in white beneath one of the raised animal masks on one side of the handle .
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