Ceremonial Object in the Shape of an Ax

Ceremonial Object in the Shape of an Ax

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This remarkable ceremonial object, a conceptual as well as technical tour de force, almost certainly functioned as a percussive instrument to be suspended and struck. Striations on the flanged neck, resembling the raised markings of crocodile skin, are combined with lozenge patterning and may have helped secure the rope from which the instrument was hung. An anthropomorphic face with spiral banding and a sawtooth pattern appear on the reverse. The object bears close comparison with the so-called Makassar Axe in the National Museum of Indonesia, found in southern Sulawesi a century ago.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ceremonial Object in the Shape of an AxCeremonial Object in the Shape of an AxCeremonial Object in the Shape of an AxCeremonial Object in the Shape of an AxCeremonial Object in the Shape of an Ax

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.