Ancient Chinese Hongshan Jade Axe Head Amulet Dragons & Sacrifices w/Translation

Description

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Artifacts, Antiques & Fine Collect
i
bles
Neolithic
Chinese Jade Ritual Axe Head
Ceremonial “
Yue
” Axe Blade with Offering Pictographs
Sacred Ancestor, Dragons, Sacrifices, & Leaping Tiger Pictographs
English Translation of Inscription Characters
Hongshan Culture
c. 4500—2250 BC
In the Presence of the Supreme God of Heaven
Shang Di
(
上帝
) and My Ancestors, We the Sons and Generations of Grandsons of this Noble Man, Make an Offering of this Jade Axe (
Yue
) and the Raw Meat of Several Sacrificed Animals, in Order that Our Prayers to our Sacred Dragon Ancestors are Heard and that Our Father is Granted Immortality in Heaven (
Tian
).
~Expanded Translation by W.D. Houghton, Ancient Civilizations
NOTE:
William D. Houghton, the President of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
, a State of Washington Licensed Business,
assumes all responsibility for the information contained in this description and for the English translation and transcription of the ancient Chinese graphic characters.
Furthermore, I prohibit the further dissemination of this information in any written, video, or electronic format without my expressed, written approval.
Thank You!
S
UMMARY
This Neolithic Chinese Ritual Jade Axe Head amulet in a style classified as a “
Yue
Axe II," and dates to approximately the Hongshan Culture (4500 BC—2250 BC).
That’s right, this wonderful ritual jade axe symbolizes the military authority and high status of its ancient Chinese owner.
These ritual axe heads made of jade are only found in the tombs of Warlord/King/ Emperors, who are men and were the literal "Sons of Heaven."
It has not been repaired or restored, but some of the white calcium and other mineral deposits have been professional removed by the previous owner.
And yes, it is over 5,000 years old!
Approximate Measurements:
Height:  2.73"  (69mm)
Width:   2.22"  (56mm)
Thickness:  .49" (13mm)
Weight:  2.7oz. (76gr.)
Diameter of Center Hole:
.59” (15mm)
Condition
This nephrite jade axe has it original, dark-green color with highlights of brown and orange from the iron in the soil where it was buried.
The entire axe head is in museum quality condition, but it had been previously cleaned in China.
It shows almost no pitting or differential weathering and yet has a wonderful patina in the incised and pecked figures that only occur on worked jade objects buried for thousands of years in the damp soil of China.
No repairs or reconstructions.
This patina should not be removed, because the natural patina is one way to identify an authentic Hongshan jade.
There are several (about 25+) characters that have been incised, pecked, and even painted onto the bottom two sides of this ritual, axe amulet.
I have attempted to translate the ones that I can see clearly enough to translate.
These small characters were only meant for the eyes of the Ancestors, as human eyes were not worthy to see them.
In fact, one character that I can clearly see that is an animal, is less than
3mm in length
!
WOW!!
See below for details.
DETAILS
This wonderful Jade Amulet is shaped like an axe and is decorated with a
larger hole in the center to symbolize Heaven.
The axe was a common tool in ancient China, but these Jade Axes were for ritual use only and can be found buried with their owners in ancient tombs.  The edge of the axe is ground to an edge and would have been attached to a wooden handle and placed in the tomb.  Chinese and Western experts believe these ritual axes (or "
yu
" and "
fu
" in Chinese) denoted military and regal authority of a man when placed in a tomb.
No jade axes have ever been found in the tombs of women.
This example is classified as a “
Yue
Axe II” by the experts. It has a lovely, sharped bit and a single suspension hole.
It has been drilled by ancient hand drills from both sides of the axe millennia ago.  Archeologists believe this axe would have been fastened to wooden handles and used as a symbol of military authority.
Such axes were often given to a military general to signify his high social position as a leader and direct arm of the Emperor or warlord.
In the 5,000-year-old relics of Hongshan Culture, these axes were made of precious jade for decoration purposes only. According to studies, the jade axe is a symbol of glory.
An event recorded in the
Shih Ji
by Sihma Cian
says that King Tang of the Shang held his
yue
and announced a punitive expedition on the ruthless King Jie of the Sia Dynasty.
Research on jade
yue
and
fu
axes from Xipo, China, reveal just how these lovely axes were made. The first step involved cutting the raw material into pieces with stone or bamboo saws and string saws soaked in a slurry of jade dust.
Then the pieces were ground and abraded to a proper shape, as jade does not flake like flint.
Next, a round hole was drilled in the top of the
yue
using a small bamboo tube and a slurry of powdered jade as an abrasive. Finally, the jade was carefully polished and inspected before its delivery and presentation to its wealthy and powerful owner.
Early jade axes such as this one a have a rather thick, solid body, while later Neolithic blades are thinner and more refined with square, edged sides.
The Chinese word for jade is
“yu”
and this jade ritual axe is made from ancient nephrite jade that has been beautifully crafted in a fantastic cultural masterpiece.
It easily dates to 5,000-years-old.
It is made of pure Nephrite jade and has a wonderful, authentic patina that is a rich, brown color with orange highlights from the iron in the soil that was in contact with for 5,000 years!  It also is pitted from differential weathering, and has white calcification from the salts that have leached into the jade—all clear indicators of an authentic and original piece.
In Neolithic China, this Jade Axe Amulet would have been offered as a sacrifice and placed in the tomb or surface temple of the departed man by his family, as an offering to the Gods and Ancestors to grant him wealth, immortality, and to protect him or her from evil spirits in this life and in the afterlife. This finely worked Jade Amulet would also show the spirits that he/she was a wealthy and powerful person--likely a king or a member of a royal family.
This tapered jade axe head has convex sides, slightly flared lateral edges, and an angled cutting edge.
The four edges represented the Earth, while the .59” (15mm) hole in the center represents Heaven (in Chinese
Tien or Tian
).
The pictograph of the two parallel lines that run from one side of jade axe to the other side represents the eyes of a “Sacred Man” or “Sacred Ancestor” that is watching with benevolence over the deceased.
The two parallel lines also is the Chinese character “
Erh
” which means two.
More specifically in this case, it refers to both Heaven & Earth.
It could also be a symbol to the Supreme God of Heaven Shang Di (
上帝
) to hear their prayers.
{See macro photo 3.}
Jade was highly prized by these early civilizations in China, and it was thought to have positive energy to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck and fortune to all who wore a piece on their person--in life and in death. Jade was also believed to be a portal or messenger that could carry prayers to Heaven and send messages to those on Earth from departed ancestors and Gods in Heaven.
This ceremonial/ritual axe is based on the style of utilitarian stone axes of the period.
However, the precious value of jade (worth more than gold to this ancient culture), the engraved/pecked inscription, and the tendency of jade to fracture and chip when struck, all confirm that this jade axe functioned as a ritual object rather than just an everyday tool. The detailed inscription on all the surfaces of the axe served as a permanent record of the many sacrifices the descendants made on behalf of the father/grandfather.
As noted above, this axe has two suspension holes on the top and one hole in the bottom that archaeologists classify as “bi-conical bore holes,” which were one of the common types of holes made during the Hongshan Culture.
The three holes are also the sacred number of “
Heaven, Earth, and Man
” referred to as “
The Three Powers
” or “
San
” in Chinese.
It was necessary to drill these three holes from both sides with a hollow, bamboo or bone tube that would be dipped into abrasive and then rotated rapidly against the stone to affect a ring-form type of hole, leaving the solid core intact.
Therefore, the meeting place of the two borings is not true to a single, straight channel and a curved remnant ridge that is not ground or polished-out remains at the common junction.
The center core was often snapped off by tapping or pushing the center core to one side and thus completing the long hole.
Then entire amulet is defined by precise incision lines and plain modeling, with slightly convex sides.
It presents a powerful image of protection in the afterlife, and one meant only for the royal or elite class in ancient Hongshan.
TRANSLATION OF CHINESE CHARACTERS ON THIS JADE AXE
NOTE:
William Houghton, the President of ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
, a State of Washington Licensed Business, assumes all responsibility for the information contained in this description and for the English translation and transcription of the ancient Chinese graphic characters.
Furthermore, I prohibit the further dissemination of this information in any written, video, or electronic format without my expressed, written approval.
Thank You!
There are several (about 25+) characters that have been incised, pecked, and even painted onto this ritual axe amulet.
I have attempted to translate the ones that I can see clearly enough to translate.
These small characters were only meant for the eyes of the Ancestors, as human eyes were not worthy to see them.
In fact, one character that I can clearly see that is an animal, is less than 3mm in length!
WOW!!
See below for details:
The largest pictograph on this axe is the two parallel lines that run from one side of jade axe to the other side.
It symbolizes the eyes of a “Sacred Man” or “Sacred Ancestor” that is watching with benevolence over the deceased.
The two parallel lines also is the Chinese character “
Erh
” which means two.
More specifically in this case, it refers to both Heaven & Earth.
It could also be a symbol to the Supreme God of Heaven Shang Di (
上帝
) to hear their prayers
.
{See macro photo 3.}
On the bottom, long edge of the axe that has the two suspension holes, there is the graphic of what appears to be a leaping tiger—facing left with this jaws wide open.
{See macro photo 4.}
To the right of the tiger is the blurry figure that was painted in black ink on the axe.
It appears to be a man, likely the son of the departed, that has sacrificed an animal.
{See macro photo 4.}
Coming out of the tiger’s mouth is the
smallest character
that I can see and translate on this axe amulet.
It is the graphic of a small animal, and it measures only about
2.7mm in length
!
He is facing directly into the mouth of the leaping tiger mentioned above and may be a representation of the spirit of an animal that was eaten by the tiger.
{See macro photo 4.}
The large hole in the center symbolizes Heaven (
Tian
).
On the other (reverse) side of the amulet there appear to be at least four pictographic characters that I can see.
In the center of this macro photo, I hope you can see three images—one in the center and two on either side of it.
They all appear to be images of Fire-Breathing Dragons.
{See macro photo 5.}
To the left of the center Dragon is the image of what looks like a frog.
It is, in fact, the image for a grandson that is holding what looks like the number “8” and that is the symbol for the succession of generations.
{See macro photo 5.}
On both sides of the axe, there are
tiny images of the Sons killing animals as a sacrifice to the Ancestors.
These images are pecked and incised in low relief into the jade.
Even smaller and somewhat hidden are pictographs on the collared edges of the center hole that represents Heaven!
There appear to even be smaller characters on the inside edges of that center hole—perhaps only 1mm in length.
These incantations or prayers were meant only for the eyes and ears of the Ancestors and not mortal men.
It was believed that humans were not worthy to view these inscriptions that were only meant for the Ancestors.
{
See macro photo 7.}
There are several (perhaps 15+) additional pictographs on both side of the axe, but they are just too faint or abstract for me to confidently translate.
Below is a rough, expanded translation of the inscription that was made on this ritual, jade axe about 5,000-years-ago.
This is the first time anyone has attempted to translate this inscription.
Any errors are, of course, mine alone:
In the Presence of the Supreme God of Heaven
Shang Di
(
上帝
) and My Ancestors, We the Sons and Generations of Grandsons of this Noble Man, Make an Offering of this Jade Axe (
Yue
) and the Raw Meat of Several Sacrificed Animals, in Order that Our Prayers to our Sacred Dragon Ancestors are Heard and that Our Father is Granted Immortality in Heaven (
Tian
).
~Expanded Translation by W.D. Houghton, Ancient Civilizations
I have tested this jade and it tests as pure "nephrite
Yu
(Jade)" as the Chinese say.  I have examined this artifact under 10x magnification and have determined that there are no cracks, repairs, or damage of any kind.  The jade axe shows only evidence of heavy pitting and differential weathering--something that only happens when carved jade has been exposed to air and water for many thousands of years.  This is completely natural and is perhaps the best clue to look for in determining the age of jade.
I have carefully examined and authenticated this ritual Jade Axe as authentic.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
This wonderful Jade Amulet is shaped like an axe and is decorated with a larger hole in the center to symbolize Heaven.  The axe was a common tool in ancient China, but these Jade Axes were for ritual use only and can be found buried with their owners in ancient tombs.  The edge of the axe is ground to an edge and would have been attached to a wooden handle and placed in the tomb.  Chinese and Western experts believe these ritual axes (or "
yu
" and "
fu
" in Chinese) denoted military and regal authority of a man when placed in a tomb.
No jade axes have ever been found in the tombs of women.
This example is classified as a “
Yue
Axe II” by the experts. It has a lovely, sharped bit and a single suspension hole.
It has been drilled by ancient hand drills from both sides of the axe millennia ago.  Archeologists believe this axe would have been fastened to wooden handles and used as a symbol of military authority.
Such axes were often given to a military general to signify his high social position as a leader and direct arm of the Emperor or warlord.
I have tested this jade and it tests as pure "nephrite
Yu
(Jade)" as the Chinese say.  I have examined this artifact under 10x magnification and have determined that there are no cracks, repairs, or damage of any kind.  The jade axe shows only evidence of heavy pitting and differential weathering--something that only happens when carved jade has been exposed to air and water for many thousands of years.  This is completely natural and is perhaps the best clue to look for in determining the age of jade.
I have carefully examined and authenticated this ritual Jade Axe as 100% authentic and original!
It will appraise as such by any knowledgeable Chinese jade expert or museum.
REFERENCES:
·
T
he Ancestral Landscape
, David N. Knightley, 2000
·
Chinese Characters,
Dr. L. Wieger, S.J.
·
The Great Bronze Age of China
:
An Exhibition from the People’s Republic of China
, edited by Wen Fong, 1980
·
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
·
Ancient Chinese Warfare
, Ralph D. Sawyer, Mei-chün Sawyer
·
Archaeology
, Archaeological Institute of America, Feb/March 2015
·
Shanghai Museum, China
·
Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, China
·
National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
·
British Museum
·
Smithsonian Museum, Sackler & Freer Gallery, WDC
NOTE:
Please note that there are hundreds of modern reproduction axes for sale on eBay from China and the USA, but nearly all are modern fakes, and some aren’t even jade.
So please ensure that you are bidding on the real thing if that is what you want before you bid.
If you only want a reproduction piece for a few dollars that is simply fine, just be sure you are getting the quality and authenticity you are paying for.
Please examine the macro photos carefully as they are part of the description.
The stand and the AA battery are not part of the auction, just included to give you a better perspective.
And please ask any questions before you buy.
International Buyers are responsible for all import duties, import taxes, shipping charges and insurance costs.
International Returns are
NOT
accepted.  Thank You!
Note:
Please ask any questions you may have before you bid!  Thanks for Looking!