Crescent-Shaped Ax Head (Chandrasa)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The flamboyant curved blade and asymmetrically placed splayed socket of this piece are typical of works from Java and Sulewasi, produced in full size and as miniatures, and used as funerary gifts and for ceremony and display. Axes are often carried by the feathered warriors depicted on drums and situlae from the Dongson culture of Vietnam, and late Dongson ax heads with pediform or boat-like shaped are other thought to have provided prototypes for the exaggerated examples produced in Indonesia.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art