Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Missouri War Axe
Not on view
Small crosses stamped on the forged iron blade of this war axe probably represent a constellation of stars. Parallel lines carved on the brass-tack-decorated haft (handle) are similar to beaded designs on leggings from the region. A pendant of beadwork hangs below the handgrip. French traders introduced this type of war axe to the Plains Indians in the 1700s, and it became a favored weapon for hand-to-hand fighting among tribes along the Missouri River.
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