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A BRONZE HALBERD BLADE (GE), EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY China, 770-221 BC. Crisply cast, the elongated blade (yuan), with beveled edges and a subtle median ridge, extending from a curved lower edge to a pointed tip, and issuing from a slotted shaft pierced with two rectangular slits for attachment. The short tang (nei) decorated on each side with an abstract linear motif in low relief. Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with expected wear and inherent casting irregularities. Distinct traces of weathering and corrosion. Occasional small nicks, light surface scratches, and nibbling along the edges. The bronze surface with extensive areas of attractive malachite and azurite encrustations. Weight: 279.9 g Dimensions: Length 26.7 cm The dagger-axe (ge) was a type of polearm employed in China from the Longshan culture through the Han dynasty, that consisted of a dagger-shaped blade affixed by its tang to a perpendicular wooden shaft. The earliest examples were executed in stone, subsequently in bronze, while jade variants were reserved for ceremonial contexts. The dagger-axe constituted the first weapon in Chinese history that was not simultaneously utilitarian as a hunting or agrarian implement. Devoid of a thrusting point, it was deployed in open terrain, permitting the full leverage of its elongated shaft. Its introduction onto the battlefield precedes both the advent of chariot warfare and the later predominance of closely arrayed infantry formations. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze halberd blade, Eastern Zhou dynasty, c. 5th-4th century BC, 12.4 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Asian Art, object number 1985.214.29. Compare a closely related bronze halberd blade, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period, c. 6th-5th century BC, 19.6 cm long, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, accession number 000026N000000000. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 27 September 2021, lot 505 Price: USD 3,780 or approx. EUR 4,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaic bronze halberd blade (Ge), Eastern Zhou dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and superficial malachite encrustations. Note the similar size (25.3 cm).

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Bronze