VIKING IRON BEARDED BATTLE AXE

Ca. 900-1100 AD. Viking. An impressive iron axehead with a curved blade and elliptical shaft-hole. The profile is square at the lower edge in the classic Skeggøx or 'bearded' profile. A wooden shaft would have been placed through the hole. The bearded axe, or Skeggøx (from Old Norse Skegg, "beard", and øx, "axe") was common from the 6th century AD onwards in Scandinavia but made most famous by the Vikings, who used these axes in battles to terrible effect. In bearded axes, the main part of the axe blade extends below the butt of the axe, creating a large cutting blade and allowing a fighter to hook onto the shields or weapons of their opponents. Mounted on a custom-made stand. Good condition. For more information on Viking Axes, see Hubbard, B. (2016) The Viking Warrior. Amber Books Ltd, London, 139–141.Size: L:125mm / W:190mm ; 815g. Provenance: Property of a European gentleman, formerly acquired on the UK Art Market in the 1990s.