Description:

Anatolia, modern day Turkey, ca. 1600 to 1180 BCE. Cast bronze with excellent heft and shape. It is a trapezoid shape with a squared off butt and a curving expanded cutting edge. The craftsmanship on this piece is stunning. During the time that this axe would have been made, Hittite art had begun to depict weapons that appear to be suffused with magical properties or divine powers. Both male and female deities are carved in low relief displaying their attributes, which are almost always a weapon or tool. This is one of the earliest examples we have of axes being associated with gods, but the idea carried on through different Eastern and European mythologies for centuries. An axe like this one would most likely have been buried in some of the simple, stone-built graves that characterize the deposition of the dead in this time period. Size: 9" L x 5" W (22.9 cm x 12.7 cm)

Provenance: 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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#111125

  • Condition: Intact with minor signs of wear.

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December 7, 2015 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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