Hatchet
Unknown Artist
Medium
Jadeite
Dimensions
L. 2 13/16 in. (7.1cm); W. 1 7/16 (3.7 cm); D. 1 in. (2.6 cm)
Classification
Jade
Culture
West Indies
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902
Accession Number
02.18.227
Art Historical Context
This exquisite jadeite hatchet, measuring just under 3 inches long, exemplifies the masterful stone-carving traditions of West Indies cultures. Crafted durable, vibrant jadeite—a rare and highly valued green stone prized for its toughness and luster—the hatchet's compact form (2 13/16 x 1 7/16 x 1 inches) suggests it may have served both practical and ceremonial purposes. Its smooth, polished surfaces and precise proportions highlight the artisan's skill in working hard materials without metal tools, a testament to pre-Columbian ingenuity in the Caribbean region. Though the artist and exact d...