Spearhead
Photography by Synthescape, Digital image © Asia Society
Spearhead
13th - 11th century BCE
North China
Bronze
H. 6 1/4 x W. 1 1/2 in. (15.9 x 3.8 cm)
Asia Society, New York: Estate of Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller, 1993.4
Licensing inquiries
The spear was not only an indispensable weapon in the arsenal of the Chinese Bronze Age army, but also a symbol of status. Spearheads were finely cast with decorative motifs similar to those found on vessels. On this piece the decoration consists of stylized dragon heads linked into S-shapes cast in low relief against a granulated background. This granulation, as well as the row of circles at the base of the socket identify this piece as coming from the southeastern region around the lower reaches of the Yangzi River.