Description:

Ancient Greece, Knossos or Mycenae, Minoan or Mycenaean culture, ca. 1550 to 1050 BCE. An incredibly rare example of a cast-bronze double axe head from the ancient Minoan or Mycenaean culture. Both cultures exhibited similar styles of armaments and utilitarian tools with some key differences, however double axes of this type vary only slightly. This example features a pair of sturdy, vertically-oriented blade edges as well as an ovoid hafting shaft in the center. The undecorated presentation of this axe head suggests this was a utilitarian tool rather than a battle-ready weapon or a votive meant as an offering for the dead. Size: 1.2" L x 6.4" W x 2.2" H (3 cm x 16.3 cm x 5.6 cm); 4.4" H (11.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Cf. a Minoan double axe at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 24.150.11, and a Mycenaean double axe at Monash University, object number 127.022

Provenance: ex-Royal Athena Galleries, New York City, New York, USA

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#187763

  • Condition: Surfaces are professionally cleaned as shown. Minor nicks and abrasions commensurate with age, otherwise intact and excellent. Wonderful surfaces throughout.

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July 18, 2024 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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