339, Lot: 473. Estimate $75. Sold for $75. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CHINA, Eastern Zhou dynasty - Warring States Period. State of Yān. City of Yang’an. Circa 350-250 BC. Æ Half Jin – Square Foot Spade (47x30mm, 6.09 g). An Yang in early zhuànshū Hànzì (seal script) characters / Blank. BN Chinoises I 318-20 var. (rev.); Hartill 3.186-7 (Anyang in State of Zhào). VF, thick green patina.

From the J.P. Righetti Collection.

A curved An character distinguishes the type from the similar issues of Anyang in Zhào. Control marks found on the reverse bear a strong resemblance to those found on the ‘Ming’ knives popular in the state of Yān. Any possible marks on the reverse of this piece are obscured by the thick patina.