Northern Europe, Chalcolithic / Corded Ware culture, ca. 2800 BCE. A fine example of a hard, grey stone battle-axe with long triangular blades on either side that rise at the edges and slope downward in the center to meet a narrow, cylindrical socket. Viewed from above or the side, the axe is in the form of a boat, with a prominent prow. Axes like this one have been found in over three thousand graves, mainly in southern Scandinavia, and were status objects, not weapons - there is no evidence for any kind of uptick in battles or migrations of people around this time period. Comes with custom stand. Size: 6.45" L x 1.95" W x 2" H (16.4 cm x 5 cm x 5.1 cm); height on stand: 4.35" (11 cm)

The boat-like shape is echoed through rock carvings from this era, which also depict what appear to be thousands of ships. Current research on ancient Europe suggests that the seas and rivers were their versions of highways, and posits cultures based along coasts, with settlements on water having much more in common with those further inland. An axe like this one may have explicitly tied its owner to this seagoing world.

Provenance: ex-David R. Russell collection, author of 'Antique Woodworking Tools, Their Craftsmanship from the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century'

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#123479

Light surface scratching and one small loss near socket.