Lot 92, Auction 3/19/2026: Exceptional Luristan Bronze Socketed Axe Head

$975.00

In stock

Ancient Near East, Persia, Luristan, Bronze Age, ca. 2nd millennium BCE. A Luristan bronze axe head with a dramatically flaring blade and a deep socketed haft, its surface now alive with rich green patina and scattered islands of red cuprite. Cast with a long, tapering profile, the form balances elegant geometry with brute practicality – a weapon that reads like pure silhouette. The blade widens into a broad crescent, while the socket end is cut with a pronounced U-shaped opening for the wooden handle, the junction thickened for strength. Along the edges, the bronze has softened with age, and the mottled mineralization creates a natural, almost painterly skin that underscores the object’s antiquity. Size: 6.3″ L x 2.8″ W (16 cm x 7.1 cm)

Axes of this type are among the most recognizable bronzes associated with Luristan, a mountainous region famed for its sophisticated metalwork. Whether intended for warfare, display, or as a prestige object deposited in ritual contexts, the piece carries the unmistakable authority of early Iranian bronze production – spare, purposeful, and enduring.

Condition: Some small chips to blade as well as some nicks and abrasions to surface, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina throughout.

Provenance: private London, United Kingdom collection; ex- UK Art Gallery, 2010s; ex- Antiques Art Market, 1979; ex-Heyward Cutting collection, United Kingdom, assembled 1970s to 1990s

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 purchases.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.