Primary sourceArtifactc. 1407-1410

Ritual Flaying Knife

c. 1407-1410

A ceremonial knife made in the Yongle Emperor's imperial workshop as part of a set of gifts to a Tibetan Buddhist patriarch.

Made in the Yongle Emperor's workshop, this knife was part of his gift set to a Tibetan patriarch, showing his religious patronage.

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Photograph of a ritual knife with a curved, crescent-shaped steel blade, its edge curling up at the left. The handle is gilded bronze, topped by a vajra-like finial and crown, with a lotus-petal collar, a bulbous knop, and a flared base decorated with scrollwork and a fanged animal head resting on the blade. — Ritual Flaying Knife, c. 1407-1410. Sino-Tibetan, Derge School, Yongle period. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This ritual flaying knife, made around 1407-1410, was produced in the imperial workshop of the Yongle Emperor and gifted to a Tibetan patriarch as part of a set of tantric Buddhist ceremonial objects. It is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The knife has a curved steel blade and a gilded bronze handle topped with a vajra-like finial, decorated with lotus petals and a fanged animal head.

Why it matters

Like its companion ritual axe, this knife reflects the Yongle Emperor's support for Tibetan Buddhism and his use of fine craftsmanship in diplomatic gift-giving, connecting the Ming court to religious leaders beyond China.

Look closer

What does the craftsmanship of this object suggest about the resources of the imperial workshop?
Why do you think such an object would be given as a religious gift rather than kept at court?
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