Northern Europe, Denmark, Neolithic period, ca. 3900 to 1700 BCE. A fine, hand-shaped hand axe with retooling, made from a light-brown stone with warm, mottled orange and grey hues. The polished chert axe is part of the technology that marked Neolithic life in northwestern Europe alongside farming, pottery, and longhouses. Axes of this sort are often found inside of dolmens, large granite blocks that form tombs. This example is notable for the natural beauty of the stone that the artisan has brought out through their shaping and polishing - you can imagine someone selecting this exact stone and envisioning what it would look like once knapped. Size: 6.25" L x 2.5" W (15.9 cm x 6.4 cm).

Provenance: ex-private London, United Kingdom collection

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#138124

Surface wear and minor abrasions commensurate with age and use, small chips and knapping marks along edge and peripheries as expected, with some losses to butt end and edge. Light earthen deposits throughout. Old inventory label on verso.