Machete Collection

Indigenes de la Rhodesia defrichant une foret pour l'etablissement d'une plantation de... 1914
Indigenes de la Rhodesia defrichant une foret pour l'etablissement d'une plantation de coton; Afrique Australe, 1914. From "Grande Geographie Bong Illustree", 1914

Kali / Tara, ca. 1885-90. Creator: Calcutta Art Studio
Kali/Tara, ca. 1885-90

Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin, Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet)... A.H. 931 / A
Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin, Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

A protester, hiding from police, tries to retrieve a machete during a protest against President Pierre Nkurunzizas decision to run for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi, May 29, 2015

From the Tierra Caliente. ; A Ride Round the Valley of Mexico, 1875. Creator: Unknown
From the " Tierra Caliente." ; A Ride Round the Valley of Mexico, 1875. [An indigenous man carrying plant material]. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates

FSA borrower and participant in the sugar cane cooperative, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, 1941. Creator: Jack Delano
FSA borrower and participant in the sugar cane cooperative, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

Sugar cane worker in the rich field, vicinity of Guanica, Puerto Rico, 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Sugar cane worker in the rich field, vicinity of Guanica, Puerto Rico

Yumbo Indian of Naymas (oil on canvas)
IND113670 Yumbo Indian of Naymas (oil on canvas) by Alban, Vicente (18th century); Museo de America, Madrid, Spain; Index Fototeca

Danny Trejo. Creator: Dan Springer
Danny Trejo

Corn Knife, 1939. Creator: Walter Praefke
Corn Knife, 1939

Sugar Industry Implements, c. 1938. Creator: Ray Price
Sugar Industry Implements, c. 1938

The Great Sacrifice of the Romans on Undertaking a War, engraved by R
PML143643 The Great Sacrifice of the Romans on Undertaking a War, engraved by R. Young, from World Religion, published by A. Fullarton & Co. (engraving) by Scott, W. B

The Boys Breakfast, 1904 (oil on board)
FIN160961 The Boys Breakfast, 1904 (oil on board) by Farny, Henry Francois (1847-1916); 43.3x25.9 cm; Private Collection; David Findlay Jr Fine Art, NYC, USA; American, out of copyright

La Maman-Couleuvre (engraving)
2783406 La Maman-Couleuvre (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: La Maman-Couleuvre. Illustration for Journal Des Voyages, 3 April 1881.); © Look and Learn

Old Kentucky Home Life in the South, 1859 (oil on canvas)
NYH21285 Old Kentucky Home Life in the South, 1859 (oil on canvas) by Johnson, Eastman (1824-1906); 94X116.8 cm; Collection of the New-York Historical Society

Society Islands: pangas, fishing hooks and other tools, from Voyage autour du Monde
STC174210 Society Islands: pangas, fishing hooks and other tools, from Voyage autour du Monde, executee par Ordre du Roi sur La Corvette de Sa Majeste, La Coquille, pendant les Annees 1822, 1823

Diak Man, ca. 1893. Creator: Antonio Zeno Shindler
Diak Man, ca. 1893

The Masai on full display
Jeffrey C. Sink

African soldier armed with a machete in Nyasaland (Malawi) during the Second World War. 14th April 1941

Children playing near a weed strewn Buffalo LVT American tank in a potato field on Guadalcanal. The island saw some of the bitterest fighting in the Pacific between the Japanese and the Americans

Ojibbeway Indians in Paris, 1861 / 1869. Creator: George Catlin
Ojibbeway Indians in Paris, 1861/1869. Maun-gua-daus (chief) with warriors, women and children taken to Paris as representatives from Canada in 1845

Three Iowa Indians, 1861 / 1869. Creator: George Catlin
Three Iowa Indians, 1861/1869. Notch-e-ning-a (chief) with Mu-hu-she-kaw (his oldest son) and Pa-ta-coo-chee (warrior) on the eastern bank of the Missouri, much reduced by small pox and whiskey. 1832

AFRICA / EXPLORATION / CONGO
Cutting through the jungle with a machete in the swamps of the Lobaye, the French and Germans establish frontiers in the Congo. Date: 1913

Cocoa in full bearing, Trinidad and Tobago, c1914. Creator: Unknown
Cocoa in full bearing, Trinidad and Tobago, c1914. Indo-Trinidadian man and small boy, the man has a machete for cutting down the cocoa pods

The Fight with the Corsairs, 1937. Artist: Sydney George Hulme Beaman
The Fight with the Corsairs, 1937. From The Childrens Golden Treasure Book for 1937, edited by John R. Crossland and J. M. Parrish. [Odhams Press Ltd. London, 1937]

Greek Art. Greece. Iron tools. Olympia
Greek Art. Greece. Iron tools of everyday use from the sanctuary of Olympia. Archaeological Museum of Olympia

Illustration of national flag of Angola, with two horizontal red and black bands, and crossed cog wheel, machete, and gold star in center

Karen people - Kayah State of Burma (now Myanmar)
The Karen people, a Sino-Tibetan people living mostly in Kayah State of Burma (now Myanmar). Date: circa 1910s

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, 1870. Various musical instruments from the collection of the South Kensington Museum in London. Wood engraving, English, 1870

Chinese Policeman
A Chinese policeman, armed with a machete. Date: early 1930s

A machete and a group of coconuts sit inside a bicycle in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

HENRY KISSINGER (1923- ). American (German-born) diplomat. Kissinger, holding a machete and shield, standing with President Jomo Kenyatta of Nairobi, Kenya. Photograph by Man Sondagar, 1976

Etow Oh Koam, King of the River Nations, 1710 (oil on canvas)
BAL2530 Etow Oh Koam, King of the River Nations, 1710 (oil on canvas) by Verelst, Johannes or Jan (b.1648-fl.1719); Private Collection; (add.info)

CUBA, 1896. Insurgent rebel cavalry armed with machetes charging Spanish regulars. Drawing by Thure de Thulstrup from an American newspaper of 1896

CUBA: REVOLUTION, 1895-1897. An insurgent cavalry charge at the Battle of De La Caoba. Contemporary newspaper drawing

Cutting Cane on a Cuban Sugar Plantation Postcard. 1904, Cutting Cane on a Cuban Sugar Plantation Postcard

Digital illustration of man bending over holding machete and hitting stick on branch

Digital illustration of man using stick for hitting and machete to cut through tree trunk

BAHAMAS: MARKET, 1856. Scene at the market of Nassau, New Providence, the Bahamas. Wood engraving, English, 1856

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"Machete: A Symbol of Power, Resistance, and Artistic Expression" From ancient civilizations to modern-day protests, the machete has played a significant role in history. This versatile tool holds a rich cultural significance across different regions and time periods. In Calcutta Art Studio's masterpiece "Kali / Tara, " dating back to 1885-90, we witness the fierce goddess wielding a machete as she embodies destruction and protection simultaneously. The intricate details showcase the artist's admiration for this formidable weapon. Moving westward to Greece, iron tools including machetes were essential during athletic competitions like Olympia. These tools symbolized strength and determination as athletes pushed their limits in pursuit of victory. The power of the machete extends beyond art; it becomes an instrument of resistance. In one photograph captured during a protest against oppression, a brave protester hides from police while attempting to retrieve their trusty machete. It represents defiance against injustice and fighting for freedom. Traveling through time again, we find ourselves amidst the lush landscapes depicted by unknown artists in "A Ride Round the Valley of Mexico" from 1875. Amongst these scenes lies an image that showcases farmers utilizing machetes to carve milk channels—a testament to its practicality even in everyday life. During times of economic struggle, such as Puerto Rico's sugar cane cooperative era in 1941-1942 documented by Jack Delano, sugar cane workers relied on their trusted machetes for survival. These laborers demonstrated resilience while working tirelessly under challenging conditions. Artists have also found inspiration within indigenous cultures where rituals intertwine with daily life. In Yumbo Indian Naymas' oil painting on canvas, we see how the Yumbo people incorporate ceremonial dances with symbolic objects like their revered machetes—an embodiment of tradition and spirituality. Escaping into imagination takes us deep into Redons' jungle lithograph titled "Redons Escape.