Head Axe (before 1922): Art, History and Details

Head Axe (before 1922) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This iron blade belongs to a Bontoc head axe, a northern Luzon weapon known for its heavy, compact form. The broad, triangular cutting surface, long, tapering rear spike, and short lower tang built to slot into a wooden shaft are all characteristic of northern Luzon. The shaft includes a protruding “thorn” or finger stop that provided a secure grip.

Object facts

• Title: Head Axe
• Date: before 1922
• Culture: Philippines, Northern Luzon, typical of Bontoc Province
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: Blade: metal; handle: wood
• Dimensions: Handle: 45.2 cm (17 13/16 in.); Blade: 29.3 x 10.8 cm (11 9/16 x 4 1/4 in.)
• Collection: Oceanic Art
• Department: Oceania
• Accession number: 1922.29

A detail from the museum

Though designed for severing a head, this hatchet also served utilitarian purposes, such as climbing.

Collection credit

Gift of J. H. Donahey

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.