During the Shang and Zhou dynasties Great axes were made of either jade or bronze. The jade versions were ceremonial. Important men and sometimes women were buried with these weapons. They symbolized power and authority. Often when a lord chose a vassal to serve as his/her general, they would receive a Great Axe, to show that the power to command the army was now in the general's hands.
 |
| A Jade Axe Head |
The less decorative bronze versions were made for actual combat. Most were "tanged" which meant that their attachment to a handle was more primitive. Tanged weapons, when they are affixed to polearms, require you to cut a slot in the pole, and then lash or pin it to the pole. This weakens the wood, and will eventually cause it to split and fall apart. Later versions adopted socket attachments which were much sturdier.
| Diagram of a bronze Yue or Great Axe |
Many bronze age axe heads have decorative engravings depicting dragons, and the gluttonous demon, Tāotiè (饕餮).
Much later, iron and steel versions replaced the bronze great axe. However these were not quite as popular on the battlefield as they had been in the past.
Ming dynasty versions of the Great Axe were called Dà Fǔ (大斧) which means "big hatchet". They continue the tradition of being somewhat decorative, with Tāotiè, phoenix, and dragon designs. They may also include a spear point on top of the axe head.
 |
| A Da Fu, or Ming style Great Axe |
No comments:
Post a Comment