Ancient Near East, Luristan, modern-day Iran, ca. 1000 to 600 BCE. This is a large, heavy, lost-wax cast copper axe head with a bulbous design on its socket and a flat, flared butt. Ancient Luristan was a series of parallel fertile valleys in northwestern Iran in the Zagros Mountains. The level of artistry displayed in their bronze work is much finer and more ornate than any of their contemporaries. This is all the more remarkable considering that there is a lack of native copper ores in that region, so Luristan must have been part of a wide trading network -- and indeed, we know that they had contacts with the Kingdom of Elam, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia. There must have been a particularly inspired artistic tradition within Luristan itself to produce functional but beautiful items like this one. Size: 6.6" L x 2.1" W x 2.5" H (16.8 cm x 5.3 cm x 6.4 cm)

Provenance: private Everett, Massachusetts, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA, February 16, 2016, lot 46A; ex-Estate of John Piscopo. Mr. Piscopo was one of the largest collectors of ancient weapons in the US with a collection that spanned all cultures, all ages.

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#182914

Some dulling and minor chipping to blade edge and butt, as well as age-expected nicks and abrasions to surface. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich, green patina throughout.