Ca. 1000-1100 AD. The broad blade flaring to the curved cutting edge, with an eared socket with a D-shaped aperture. Commonly referred to as the Danish axe. Axes were commonly used within the Viking communities, almost everything was formed of wood making it unsurprising that many axes existed for constructing ships, houses, carts, as well as other objects. The axe was also one of the choice weapons of the battlefield due to its lightweight. For a similar style see Bonhams, 5th October 2011, lot 304.Size: L:164mm / W:138mm; 690gProvenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK / International art markets.