Prestige Axe c. 20th century

This is an ornamented prestige axe, we don’t know when it was made or who made it. Look closely at the way the surface has been built up. It’s not about one single mark or gesture, but about the repetition of pattern, and the way the pattern is interrupted by the form. I’m really interested in the contrast of the polished metal blade with the dark, matte handle. The handle is decorated with tiny circles, each one a small indentation, a moment of making. And these are punctuated by the gold rectangles that reflect the light. Think about the labor involved in making something like this. This is an object of power. How does that making, that process, translate into the function of this object? It reminds me a little bit of Tara Donovan, she also uses repetition and accumulation of simple forms, to create something on a monumental scale. But here, it’s on a tiny scale. And I like that tension.