Loading, please wait...
LOT 1591
Stone Age Polished Axehead
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 4TH-3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
5 1/2 in. (384 grams, 14 cm).
Of biconvex section with narrow butt and broad gently curved edge. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Cf. MacGregor, A. (ed.), Antiquities from Europe and the Near East in the Collection of Lord MacAlpine of West Green, Oxford, 1987, item 4.44, for type.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Stone Age Polished Kneeling Goddess Idol
Neolithic Period, circa 6th-4th millennium B.C. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £390
A carved and polished figurine with rounded head and broad shoulders, folded arms resting on each side of the protruding belly, legs folded beneath the body; mounted on a custom-made stand. 365 grams total, 94 mm including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Most scholars consider these as symbols of the fertility cult and as evidence of the existence of a matriarchal society as a form of organisation of the earliest human society. The people of the Stone Age may have considered figures such as this to represent women and mothers with their life-giving powers, or as depictions of the ancestors. -
Large Stone Age Bifacial Flint Handaxe
Middle Palaeolithic Period, circa 250,000- 60,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £293
Substantial handaxe; varied patination from deposition in mineral-rich deposits; expertly knapped with a thin section and broad section, some cortex remaining; inked find spot legend 'Auigny, Cos[..] / Les [...] / Z.B. No. 14'. 595 grams, 17 cm
Found Auigny, Chere, France. From the collection of amateur archaeologist Mr M. Allais, formed in the mid-1900s. Acquired on the European art market. From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, collector.
Attributed to Homo neanderthalensis. -
Stone Age Bifacial 'Fontmaure Jasper' Handaxe
Middle Palaeolithic Period, circa 150,000-60,000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Large and colourful D-shaped triangular-section handaxe; with inked find spot legend 'Fontmaure (85) / 10.5.68 / Col 'DUBOE SP'. 283 grams, 90 mm
Found Fontmaure, France, in 1968. Acquired in the 1970s-1990s. From the collection of famous UK musician and amateur archaeologist, Victor Brox (1941-2023).