Art Institute of Chicago
Dagger-Axe (ge)
China
- Date
- Shang dynasty (1600 – 1046 B.C.)
- Medium
- Bronze
- Culture
- China
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
The power of the Shang kings depended on their control of bronze production for warfare. The dagger-axe, hafted onto a wood shaft, was the premier weapon of combat. Finely cast examples excavated from tombs suggest that such objects also had strong ritual significance. The rounded butt of this specimen contains a bird in raised lines, which may originally have been inlaid with turquoise.
The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
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