The tall jade handle is mostly a light russet brown with some calcified deep white inclusions on and around its flat top. The overall shape is a mostly flat, square column that tapers slightly towards the bottom. It is decorated with what appear to be scales or perhaps petals in five sections with string patterns separating them. Sometimes called “handles," sometimes “tablets," there does not appear to be a consensus on what utility or significance these decorative columns had. What we do know is that there have been many examples discovered in sites throughout Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Shandong provinces. Similar works have been unearthed at Anyang, and there is a comparable piece at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Jade, H: 6 7/8 in. W: 7/8 in. With a certificate of authenticity issued by Gu Fang, Senior Fellow of the Institute of Archaeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) (#15963)