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Source Description
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 this ritual axe was 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
149446
label
Ritual Axe
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
149446
contentType
object
title
Ritual Axe
description
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 this ritual axe was 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.
date
c. 1407–1410
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60740117
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 40.4 cm (15 7/8 in.)
cul
Sino-Tibetan, Derge School, Yongle period (1403-1427)
accession
1978.9.1
Source extras
tec
iron alloy with gold and silver inlay
tombstone
Ritual Axe, c. 1407–1410. Sino-Tibetan, Derge School, Yongle period (1403-1427). Iron alloy with gold and silver inlay; overall: 40.4 cm (15 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1978.9.1
collection
Tibetan Art
inscriptions
inscription
Inlaid "Yung-lo" mark (1403-1425) in gold at tope of handle above snake's head.
formerAccessionNumbers
1978.9
citations
citation
Huntington, John C., Dina Bangdel, and Robert A. F. Thurman. The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2003.
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:41:53.576000
sourceId
149446
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Tibetan Art
med
iron alloy with gold and silver inlay
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0c7be05361144781