Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations (Dao)

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Ceremonial Blade with Three Perforations, also known as Dao, is a curved, dark gray or black metal blade. The blade has a slightly rounded tip and a straight edge on the top. The bottom edge of the blade is curved. Three evenly spaced circular holes are drilled through the blade. The surface of the blade appears worn with visible scratches and marks. The background of the image is a plain light grey color.