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LOT 1768
Luristan Bronze Socketted Adze-Axehead
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
7 1/2 in. (741 grams, 19 cm).
Comprising a triangular-section blade with a curved cutting edge and a rectangular-section blade with a gently curving cutting edge flanking a round socket.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 2004, item 34, p.32.
FootnotesThe adze-axe was a fundamental weapon of many Bronze Age cultures around the world. The form lends itself to dual purposes - for war and peace. As a tool, it was used for fabricating wood; as a weapon, its heavy mass and compact form make it a deadly striking and chopping weapon, even able to defeat light armour.
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AUCTIONS:
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Old Babylonian Terracotta Head of a Demon
Circa 1900-1800 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
Modelled in the round, depicting the (severed?) head of a Mesopotamian demon, with iconic facial features in relief; hollow with a vent to the neck; produced from a two-piece mould, with a median seam through the facial features. 191 grams, 87 mm
Private collection, Israel. with Holy Land House of Antiquities, Jerusalem, 1980s. Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2001. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12878-241678.
Within traditional Mesopotamian religion, Humbaba was a creature regarded as the guardian of the cedar forest and the brother of Pazuzu. He was represented as a giant who had been raised by the sun god, Shamash. However, this head could also refer to another deity or demon, like one of the heads found in the Kish excavations. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Handle with Lion
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Comprising an S-shaped balustered body with a stylised animal head finial with open jaws at the upper end; a seated lion at the top of the handle with long tail and gaping jaws. 58 grams, 11 cm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
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Western Asiatic Bronze Amulet of a Deer's Head
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Modelled in the round with large alert ears, deeply incised facial detailing. 6.16 grams, 21 mm
Ex Dr. Leo Mildenberg, Zurich, 1990s. Acquired by Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, from the above in 1999.
