Shang Dynasty (13th-12th century BC)

Height 17.6 cm (7 in.)

This late Shang-dynasty bronze yue axe is a ceremonial object symbolizing royal authority and military command, used in state-level sacrificial ceremonies. Cast in bronze and adorned with a majestic taotie (beast-mask) motif, its top is inlaid with precious turquoise—an example of craftsmanship at its zenith. It was not a functional weapon but a symbolic implement merging religious belief and the ideology of kingship, a national treasure that attests to the theocratic nature of Shang civilization.