Hunting Cleaver (Waidpraxe) of Ernst August II Konstantin, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
1755/58
Medium
Steel, bronze, gilding, horn, wood, leather, and silk
Dimensions
Cleaver: Overall L. 36.2 cm (14 1/4 in.) Blade L. 25 cm (9 7/8 in.) Weight: 2 lb. Cleaver in scabbard weight: 2 lb. 2 oz.
Classification
cutlery
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
106222
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This 18th-century Waidpraxe or chopper belonged to Ernst August II, Duke of Saxe- Weimar-Eisenach. The base of the sheath depicts a hunter who holds a chopper in one hand while presenting a severed boar head to the goddess of the hunt, Diana, with the other. Etiquette strictly regulated who was allowed to dress the game and present the head or cut the heart. Offenders (men or women) who violated the rules were subjected to the embarrassment of “blading,” whereby the offender was made to bend ov...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...