CC0 · no rights reserved
Axe blade (<em>yue</em>)
From the collection of National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler). Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The thickened, blunt cutting edge and elaborate decoration indicate that this ax was not a functional weapon, but was used as military ceremonial regalia. Its rounded edge curves up with tips that end in tight curls, and a feline mask with prominent heart-shaped ears standing clear above the surface decorates each face of the blade. Two animals with notched spines and heads turned back grasp the sides, while their long tails curl with the tips of the blade. The openwork created by these animals on the sides is echoed by the notched and zigzagged outline of the tang, as well as the openwork pattern within.
National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler)’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineAxe blade (<em>yue</em>). 11th-10th century BCE. National Museum of Asian Art (Freer/Sackler), Purchase — funds provided by the Friends of Asian Arts and the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program. CC0.
