Luristan Spiked Axe Head

$1,200.53

A very fine Luristan spiked axe head cast in bronze. The blade features a short cylinderical shaft with four ribbed butt-spikes, each terminating in a conical point. The top and bottom butt-spike form the collars of the shaft-hole while the middle two ribs curve up towards the blade, each spike is connected with an additional crossbar. The blade has a very narrow base, with both edges strengthened by thickening, which curves downwards ending in a straight cutting edge.

Date: Circa 1800-600 BC
Condition: Extremely fine condition, some olive green patination to the surface.

SOLD

SKU: CS-242 Category: Tag:

Ancient Persian craftsmen developed great skill in bronze working, producing some of the finest tools and weaponry then available. These include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse-fittings, as well as a smaller number of vessels. Craftsmen used very advanced techniques to produce these fine weapons which were mainly cast by using three major methods, open moulds, close moulds and lost wax castings. Many weapons were finished with a socket hole, much like this fine example, which would have been the most secure way of fixing the item to a wooden haft. Weapons have been uncovered in recorded excavations, and have generally come from burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Persian, and possibly related to the modern Lur people (who have given their name to the area).

To discover more about the Luristan Empire, please visit our relevant blog post: The Luristan Empire: Beauty of Bronze.

Weight 355.9 g
Dimensions L 22.3 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The British Museum, item number 130703

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