Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE. A gorgeous weapon with a rare patina, this is a lost wax cast flat axe head with a spiked butt. The head is elongated and rectangular, broadening into a flat, square end. The butt has a series of spikes jutting from the back and a thin, round socket. The silvery patina on this piece is fascinating, and suggests a high tin content in the alloy. Bronze Age Luristan art was the work of nomadic herdsmen and horsemen who crafted small, portable objects, including axes, daggers, swords, and other weapons. Weapons like these would almost certainly have been entombed in the small rock graves in which their owners were buried; similar pieces come from the archaeological sites of Marlik and Kalar Dasht. Size: 5.45" L x 1.35" W x 2.1" H (13.8 cm x 3.4 cm x 5.3 cm); 3.5" H (8.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private R.D. collection, Long Beach, California, USA collection, acquired over twenty five years from various major galleries

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#125828

Dark, smooth, and in places silvery patina; some areas of encrustation on surface.