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LOT 1288
Large Bronze Age Socketted Axehead
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
5 3/8 in. (485 grams, 13.5 cm).
Featuring an elliptical socket and wedge-shaped cheeks with convex cutting edge, raised concentric triangle-in-trapezoid to both sides of the neck. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.
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AUCTIONS:
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Large Bronze Age Socketted Axehead
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Featuring an elliptical socket and wedge-shaped cheeks with convex cutting edge, raised concentric triangle-in-trapezoid to both sides of the neck. 485 grams, 13.5 cm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Bronze Age Central European Axehead
Circa 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
With an elliptical socket and wedge-shaped cheeks. 894 grams, 17.5 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection. -
Bronze Age Sacrificed British Long Sword
1500-1100 B.C.Estimate: £5,000 - 7,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,500
Bronze sword or rapier with gently tapering cutting edges, thick midrib with lateral beading for most of the blade's length; flared plate to the hilt with two holes at the end to accept attachment rivets; substantially complete; mounted on a custom-made stand. 918 grams total, 57 cm high including stand
Reputedly found in the River Blackwater, Bradwell, Essex. with Christie's, South Kensington, 13 May 2003, lot 259. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11881-207821.
In the terminology of Bronze Age studies, a weapon of this type less than 30 cm in length is called a 'dirk' and beyond that length it is classified as a 'rapier'. The longer examples are sometimes considered to have been impractical for use as weapons due to the limitations of the casting process making the blade brittle; however, the evidence for repairs and modifications indicates that they were frequently retained in active use for some time.
