Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)
Unknown Artist
2000–1700 BCE
Medium
jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
l. 35.2 cm
Classification
Jade
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
Accession Number
2009.83
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This impressive blade combines the beauty of material, precision of geometry, and mastery of technique. The fine polish, silken sheen, and extreme thinness (only 2 mm thick) make it an outstanding example of meticulous workmanship in ancient jade craft. Recent recoveries of similar blades from a pit of a Qijia cultural site located in northwest China reveal that they were originally standing on their edges and were arranged in parallel formations at the ritual ground.