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Palstave axehead with triangle decoration

Price: on request
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Object number
AR2670I
Object: Palstave axehead with decoration

Material: Copper alloy, Bronze.

Period: Early Bronze Age of Northern Europe,
1400 BC to 1150 BC.

Description:    Massive axehead made of bronze. The flanges start to rise gradually from the butt, fusing to the stop bar at the maximum height above the septum. Below the stop bar is a distinctive decorative design composed of a triangular depression. The body of the axe is narrow and expands into a triangular blade.
This type with a triangular depression is quite rare among bronze age axes with only a few parallels known.

Background: It is especially interesting to note that this axehead was from a hoard of 10 complete cast copper alloy palstave axeheads, all extremely well preserved. There were no obvious indicators that the blades have been used. That means they were probably deposited for their high material value. It was a bronze age repository.

Dimensions: 18cm long.

Condition: Extremely well preserved. Some corrosion and strong patina. The axe has been lightly cleaned and coated with protective lacquer by a professional conservator.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2019 on the British art market. Exported to Germany in 2019 with approval from the Arts Council England. The group this axehead is from was found by P. Hogan in April 2017 in Manston, Kent, UK. The discovery was reported as potential treasure (no. 2017 T459), inspected by the British Museum and recorded in the Portable Antiquities Scheme (ID KENT-593613). Finally it was returned to the finder for private ownership or trade in 2018. It was subsequently given to the art market by the finder.

References: Cf. U. Weller, Bestimmungsbuch Archaeologie 2, Aexte und Beile, p. 80, no. 4.3.8.1.

Literature: There is a good and compact booklet on pre-coinage currency in Europe called "Mit Salz, Beil und Rind auf Shopping-Tour, Fruehe Zahlungsmittel in Europa" by Geldmuseum der Oesterreichischen Nationalbank (2009).

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.