HEAVY BRONZE AGE BATTLE AXE ON STAND

1200-800 BC. Bronze Age Luristani. Rare decorated bronze axe with flat, curved blade, prominent midrib which splits to form three branches as it approaches the blade, and circular socket. Bronze weaponry production flourished in western Asia, the Aegean, and Mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. 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. Superb condition; on custom-made stand. Size: H:130mm/L:145mm/H:45mm (without stand); 500g. Provenance: Private London collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK and European art market.