BRONZE AGE AXE ON STAND - STUNNING PATINA

2nd Millennium BC, Bronze Age. Bronze axe with short, vertical blade to the front and spike at the rear. The circular seocket extends downwards and bears five raised decorative hoops and further curvillinear decoration flanks the top part of the socket. Bronze weaponry production flourished in Europe from the 3000 BC – 1200 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron over the following 500 years. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. Excellent condition with a beautiful patina; on custom-made stand. Size: H:105mm/L:190mm/H:90mm (without stand); 1320g. Provenance: Property of a central London Ancient Art Gallery; previously obtained from a British private collection formed in the 1980s.