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Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)
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Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)

2000–1700 BCE · jade (nephrite)

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

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.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineCeremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao) (有孔玉刀), 2000–1700 BCE. Northwest China, Neolithic period to Bronze Age, Qijia culture (2000–1700 BCE). Jade (nephrite); overall: 35.2 cm (13 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Collection, 2009.83
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