Neolithic Chinese Jade Axe Dragon King Amulet w/50+ Characters & Translation

Description

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Artifacts, Antiques, & Fine Collect
i
bles
Neolithic Chinese Jade Ritual Jade Axe Head Amulet
Sacrifices of Slain Animals and Precious Jade to Their Ancestors in Heaven (
Ti’en
)
Inscribed 50+ Pictograph Dedication with Partial English Translation
c. Hongshan Culture
4500 BC to 2250 BC
“In the Presence of Our Ancestors, We the Sons and Grandsons Offer to Our Ancestors
These Gifts of Jade, Wine, and Raw Meat in Order that the Soul of Our Father/Grandfather
May Safely Enter Heaven (
Ti'en
) and Spend Eternity with Our Ancestors”
~English Translation Provided by ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
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!
SUMMARY
This Neolithic Chinese Jade Trapezoidal Ritual Axe amulet in a style classified as a “
Yue
” axe, 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, is inscribed with a dedication of abundance that is over 5,000 years old!
This Neolithic Chinese Dragon & Heaven Pendant/Amulet is made of from period correct, nephrite jade (“
Fu
” in Chinese) and measures approximately 3.56" (90 mm) long x 2.68” (68 mm) wide" x .46” (11.71 mm) thick.  It weighs 5.4 oz. (153 gr.).
No repairs, or restorations. Only surface scratches, calcification and differential weathering & pitting--all period correct. Museum Quality patina of russet highlights and 50+ dedication characters/pictographs!
DETAILS
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 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.
The four, trapezoid edges represented the Earth, while the center hole (.63” or 16 mm) represents Heaven (
Ti’en
).
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 trapezoidal jade axe head has slightly flared lateral edges and wide, angled cutting edge.
The large, hole near the center represented Heaven (
Ti’en
in Chinese) and measures .63” (16 mm) in diameter.
This hole is classified as a “double-bevel hole” as it was drilled from both sides, as evidenced by the slight ridge that is visible inside the aperture.
This is the typical, hole-drilling method used for neolithic jades.
Inside the hole, are several pictographic characters, including a regal dragon, there were meant only for the eyes 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.
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.
Condition
The nephrite jade axe has a dark-green color that is accented with beautiful russet markings from the natural iron particles embedded in the solid jade.
The entire axe head is in museum quality condition, but it had been previously cleaned in China.
It shows heavy pitting and differential weathering with a wonderful patina that only occurs on worked jade objects buried for thousands of years in the damp soil of China.
No repairs or reconstructions.
The surface of the Jade Heaven & Immortality Amulet shows growth of micro-crystalline jade (which looks like a white dust in the grooves of the jade).
Jade experts look for these tiny white crystals of jade that form of worked jade that is thousands of years old and that has been exposed to moisture. As this Jade Amulet has been in the damp earth for about 5,000 years, the micro-crystalline jade on the surface proves the ancient heritage of this incredible amulet. This chemical reaction can only happen after a piece of carved jade has been buried for thousands of years in damp soil.
These tiny crystals almost look like white powder and should never be cleaned off or removed as they attest to the authenticity of the piece.
In addition, the weathering, calcification, and deep pitting on all sides of the amulet also points to millennia of exposure to the elements.
English Translation of Inscription/Dedication
This 5,000-year-old ritual jade axe head contains an estimated 50+ character inscription/dedication on both sides of the axe head and even more graphics on the edges and inside the center hole.
The pictographic characters on this neolithic ceremonial jade axe were written in one of the earliest forms of a written language in ancient China.
Modern archeologists call these early pictograms “Oracle or Graphic Script.”
This style of script has been found as a permanent record that was written millennia ago by Chinese scribes on both oracle bones of cattle and on ritual jade and bronze artifacts.  This extensive inscription make this particular jade axe HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE and EXTREMELY RARE!!
This lovely amulet contains many ancient, Chinese, pictographic characters that have been carved/engraved/pecked in low relief and incorporated into the design of this amulet.
I have been able to read and translate some of the larger characters, but the smaller ones have been obscured by the extensive pitting and weathering this jade amulet suffered when it was buried in the damp earth over 4,000-years-ago.  Here are just some of the more significant characters that I have been able to translate:
Dragon:  Perhaps the most significant of these characters, are the pictographs/graphics for the omnipotent Chinese Dragon.  In neolithic China, only a warlord or king could use the Dragon graphic.  Ordinary citizens were put to death for using this image.  In 10x macro photo # 2, you will be able to see, inside the black rectangle I've drawn, the image of the Dragon.  His head is on the left side, but he is looking backwards towards his tail.  You can see the image of his horns atop his regal head.  There is also the image of a Dragon inside the center hole!  This image was meant to inform the Ancestors that the deceased person has a man of great power and wealth--a King. There are also graphics of Ancestors next to the Dragon to show that they have come down from Heaven (in Chinese "
Tien
") to receive these gifts.
Sons and Grandsons Sacrificial Offerings:   This jade axe documents that the sons and grandsons of the deceased have offered numerous sacrifices to the Ancestors.  In the 10x macro photo # 9, you can see images of the sons sacrificing animals and offering the "raw meat" to the Ancestors.  The sons (shown inside the rectangles) are depicted holding a curved, jade knife in their right hand to kill the beasts.  The raw meat would have been cut into slices and then placed on offering shelves/tables.  Inside the oval, you can see the image of a grandson who is also holding a jade knife and who is depicted killing a smaller animal as a sacrifice to the Ancestors.  There are perhaps 10+ other images of sons and grandsons depicted on all sides of the jade axe sacrificing animals to ensure their father/grandfather can safely travel to the Heavens and spend eternity with the Ancestors.
Ancestors:  Depicted several times on this ritual axe, are the images of ancestors.  Sometimes, the offerings are presented to just the footprint of an Ancestor, that looks like the English letter "L", while other times you can see the footprints of Ancestors as they walked around the the offering, sniffing the smell of the raw meat.  In some cases the Ancestor is depicted standing and the offering is presented to him directly.  {See inside rectangle box, the small arrow in macro photo # 8} While in other cases, the eyes of the Ancestors are depicted abstractly with a triangle that symbolizes the Ancestor's two eyes.  And in rare cases, like the Ancestor that shown inside the arrow in photo # 8, the deceased ancestor is depicted diving head first from the Heavens above towards the hands of the offering sons and grandsons--the Ancestor is the upside down, stick figure shown in white micro-jade crystals.
"Perfect Work:"  The compound Chinese character with a triangle shaped character “^” and “I” below it can be translated as “
My Perfect Work
.”
It is meant to state to the gods and ancestors in Heaven that the person who wears this amulet and presents it with his soul to Heaven has achieved success on Earth and should be granted immorality in Heaven.
My expanded translation of the dedication on this precious, jade amulet is as follows:
“In the Presence of Our Ancestors, We the Sons and Grandsons Offer to Our Ancestors
These Gifts of Jade, Wine, and Raw Meat in Order that the Soul of Our Father/Grandfather
May Safely Enter Heaven (Ti'en) and Spend Eternity with Our Ancestors”
All the accounts show that
these ritual axes were
symbols of great power and authority and would only be given to those leaders with these attributes.
The jade axe was one of the most important symbols in an elite burial tomb. In one famous burial tomb that contained 330 burial offerings, there were 44 stone and 12 jade axes. Jade axes were usually placed on the right side of the upper body in the tomb.  This particular jade axe was most likely placed in a temple erected  above ground, over top of the subterranean tomb.
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 when placed in a tomb.
This example is classified as a “
Fu
Axe” 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 general to signify his high social position as a leader and direct arm of the Emperor or warlord.
This jade axe has a bold yet graceful style with a wonderful dark green coloring!  The jade surface shows the authentic signs of ancient ground contact discoloration from the original bright green jade to a reddish/orange--from the iron in the soil.  After thousands of years in damp soil, the iron in the soil leaches into the semi-porous jade and turns it orange or red.  This
Yue
Axe has stunning, highlight streaks of russet-orange coloring.
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, reddish-orange highlights from the iron in the soil that is 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.
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.
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 insure 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 just fine, just be sure you are getting the quality and authenticity you are paying for.
Please examine the macro photos taken indoors carefully, as they are part of the description.
The stand is not part of the auction, just included to give you a better perspective.
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