Date: Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC)
Provenance: Unearthed at Beiyao cemetery, Luoyang, Henan province, 1964
Measurements: Length: 15 cm

A Yue is an ancient weapon in China, resembling an axe and used for slaying. Our primitive ancestors started using stone yue, and during the Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-221 BC) dynasties, bronze yue, as an aggressive weapon. Due to its cumbersome form, bronze yue gradually became a ritual object symbolizing royal authority. This bronze weapon has a curved blade, wide bottom and a large round hole in the middle. Two rectangular perforations are on the bottom of the upper part, with a perforation on the rectangular bottom part. The space between the two projections and the ends of the curved blade are adorned with openwork patterns of the kui-dragon. It is a precious artifact for studying bronze weapons of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.