Pair of Hand Axes

We are a pair of burial-altered ivory hand axes from China, dating to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1122 BC). Notice the traces of cinnabar that covered them in the tomb. One of the first items to be buried as mingqi (tomb furnishings) were blades of varying sizes. Ivory was always a treasured material. Scarce amounts of early ivory survived the ravages of burial. The fact that we two have survived as a pair makes us even more remarkable.

It has been a long journey for us before finally arriving at our current destination, the Time-Line Exhibit in the Rear Gallery of The Maridon Museum. The stories we could tell span a very long time and an arduous journey, but we will keep it short and just tell you that we have arrived. Please visit us and our other remarkable companions in the Time-Line.