A JADE CEREMONIAL AXE, QIJIA CULTURE

A JADE CEREMONIAL AXE, QIJIA CULTURE
China, Qijia culture, c. 2200-1600 BC. Of triangular form, the stone with gently curved sides and an opposing straight blade, well carved from a dark grayish-brown jade with patches and speckles of beige, as well as calcification. Five apertures incised in a series to the curved sides.
Condition:
Very good condition with wear and expected minor signs of weathering and nibbles to the edges. One side chipped.
Provenance:
The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Weight: 370 g
Dimensions: Length 35.6 cm, Width 9 cm