Head Axe
before 1922
- Medium
- Blade: metal; handle: wood
- Classification
- Arms and Armor
- Dimensions
- Handle: 45.2 cm (17 13/16 in.); Blade: 29.3 x 10.8 cm (11 9/16 x 4 1/4 in.)
- Culture
- Philippines, Northern Luzon, typical of Bontoc Province
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Oceania
- Credit line
- Gift of J. H. Donahey
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this 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.
