Click image to view full screen
Ritual Weapons
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
Ceremonial weaponry was used in tantric rituals to combat obstacles to enlightenment, such as ignorance, delusions, and selfishness. In 1407 a high-ranking Tibetan monastic patriarch visited the emperor of the Ming dynasty, known as Yongle. The Yongle emperor presented him with a number of gifts, of which these implements were probably a component, since the axe bears his identifying inscription in a cartouche. Imperial Chinese workmanship is noted in the lush rendering of the lion heads from which the blades emerge, the calligraphic serpentine forms, and the cloud motifs.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Yongle period (1403-1427) |
|---|---|
| Date | early 1400s |
| Culture / Origin | Sino-Tibetan, Derge School, Yongle period (1403-1427) |
| Medium | iron alloy with gold and silver inlay |
| Dimensions | Overall: 40.4 cm (15 7/8 in.) |
| Department | Indian and Southeast Asian Art |
| Type | Metalwork |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
