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China

Dagger-Axe (ge)

Shang dynasty (1600 – 1046 B.C.)
Bronze
7.4 × 0.8 cm (2.9 × 0.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The power of the Shang kings depended on their control of bronze production for warfare. The dagger-axe, hafted onto a wood shaft, was the premier weapon of combat. Finely cast examples excavated from tombs suggest that such objects also had strong ritual significance. The rounded butt of this specimen contains a bird in raised lines, which may originally have been inlaid with turquoise.

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