Description:

Ancient Near East, Urartu culture, modern day Iran/Armenia, ca. 850 to 590 BCE. This is a cast bronze battle axe with a flat, rectangular blade and a flared butt with simple, curvilinear raised designs around the socket. The bronze used to make it is arsenical, with a greater than 1% quantity of arsenic added to copper to make the alloy; this made extremely strong bronze. Urartu (also known as the Kingdom of Ararat or the Kingdom of Van), had such skill with bronze work that the Assyrians would take their finished metal objects whenever they could, through trade, warfare, or plunder. For example, Assyrian king Sargon II listed 305,000 bronze daggers as the plunder from a successful campaign in Urartu. Size: 3.8" L (9.7 cm)

AND Ancient Near East, Sumeria, ca. 1000 BCE. A large cast bronze pick with a rounded, elongated socket. Size: 6.25" L (15.9 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.

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.

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#116729

  • Condition: Both with patina and slight encrustation, but excellent shape

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October 10, 2016 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$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