Tibetan Kartika Ritual Axe

A crescent blade, a beaded handle and a bundle of bright cloth.

This kartika, or ritual axe, comes from Tibet and the record dates it to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is made of iron. In Tibetan Buddhist ritual a kartika is commonly shown as a symbol of cutting through ignorance. The blade curves like a crescent with a swept-up tip and a decorated surface. A handle with beaded or moulded detail leads to a bundle of red, green, gold and orange cloth and cord at the bottom.

About six inches across. Small, curved and quite serious.