Description:

Mexico, Purapecha (Tarascan/Michoacan), ca. 1300 CE. This is a heavy copper axe head. Purepecha, in modern-day Michoacan state in southwestern coastal Mexico, was the center of copper working in Pre-Columbian Mexico, when it was part of the Tarascan state. The copper was probably extracted from shallow pits or tunnel mines, and the Purepecha people developed techniques for shaping it. Copper objects such as this axe would have been heated and hammered to shape it. The Tarascan state was never conquered by the Aztecs despite their proximity; the Tarascan skill with metalwork and creating axes like this one probably kept them safe! Size: 5-1/2" x 2" at widest point x 1/2". Provenance: Ex-Historia Antiques, James Caswell, Santa Monica, CA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #109964

  • Condition: Expected patina and some scoring; small dents to some edges; blade is no longer sharp.

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September 24, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000