Dagger-Ax (Ge)
Unknown Artist
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
L. 8 11/16 in. (22.1 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture & Period
China · Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 B.C.)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. C. Dingwall, on Behalf of Lt. Col. Kenneth Dingwall, in memory of Pilot Officer William H. Dingwall, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Eagle Squadron, 1947
Accession Number
47.87
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Dagger-Ax, known as a *ge* in ancient Chinese, hails from China's Shang dynasty (ca. 0–1046 B.C.), a formative era of early Bronze Age civilization. Crafted in bronze, it measures 8 11/16 inches long and 2 3/4 inches wide, the period's mastery of metalwork. The Shang were pioneers in bronze casting, using innovative piece-mold techniques to weapons that were both functional and symbolically potent, often serving in warfare, rituals, and elite burials. As a bladed weapon with a central tang for hafting to a wooden shaft, the *ge* highlights the militaristic society of the Shang,...