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UNCOMMON NEAR EAST BRONZE AGE ADZE AXE

Iran

BRONZE AGE:  4000 - 3500 years ago

This is a type of axe that is less common then vertical blade war axes of the Luristan bronze culture of ancient Iran.  This is a complete and undamaged adze axe.  The blade of this axe type is horizontally oriented.  These were the first type of axes ever invented and their original use was intended for woodworking and farming.  They were later adopted for war use and many are found in such context.  Often, out of necessity, household tools were used also for weapons.  A blade head like this with its narrow and elongate design would have been deadly effective if used to strike the skull of an enemy.  The design would have also been better suited to pierce lightly armored targets compared to broad blade axes.  This is a highly recommended tool / weapon to augment a collection from the Near East Bronze Age! 

This specimen has been professionally cleaned and conserved in our lab, being treated with a special wax developed and formulated specifically for ancient bronze preservation.  The patina shows beautiful traits only found in authentic ancient weapons.  It is a patina like this that the finest ancient bronzes are prized for and it is a patina like this that brings a premium in price and value of the specimen.  A fine ancient weapon from this famous Bronze Age culture.  INTACT WITH NO RESTORATION and NO REPAIR

WARNING:  There is an increasing number of fake Near Eastern (Luristan) bronze weapons on the market.  As fine quality intact, original specimens become more scarce and techniques have become more sophisticated to fake these weapons.  We have personally handled numerous extremely well-done fakes with extremely convincing patinas.  The degree to which the fakers have been able to replicate patina to disguise their work requires an expert examination by highly experienced individuals.  It is common to find very reasonably priced weapons that are made up of part original and part modern components or wholly modern pieces displaying elaborate artificial patinas.  All purchases should include from the dealer a written guarantee of authenticity with unconditional and lifetime return policies regarding such guarantee. 

The term LURISTAN references artifacts made by a society of semi-nomadic people that once lived in the mountainous region of Northwest Iran.  Little is known of this ancient culture but the most impressive traces are that of the bronze artifacts they left behind that can be found in parts of present-day Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.  These include highly decorative equipment for their horses, ceremonial containers and numerous weapons ranging from simple utilitarian pieces on up to elaborate masterpieces of warfare.  

It is theorized that the Luristan bronzes were crafted by the earliest existence of the Median empire but this has never been proven as written records of the Medes have not survived.  The Medes were Indo-Iranian people originally from central Asia who settled in Northwest Iran in the 9th century BC and later defeated the Assyrian empire in 614 BC.  Their success is short-lived and their empire which once stretched from central Iran to the Persian Gulf and Anatolia was overrun in 550 BC by the Persians.

FUNCTIONAL TOOL WEAPON OF LESSER COMMON DESIGN - RICH  PATINA IN THE FINEST PRESERVATION - INTACT AND COMPLETE

5.1" in length

SOLD     LR007     Actual Item - One Only

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