Vietnamese Dong Son Bronze Axe Head - Curved Form

Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Dong Son Culture, ca. late 1st millennium BCE. An elegant curved axe head with an asymmetrical blade and ovoid socket as well as an opening at the top of the socket. The casting technique for Dong Son bronzes was demanding artistically and technically, and it seems likely based on archaeological investigation that they were made by local workshops staffed by specialists. These specialists shared knowledge throughout their geographic region, and weapons like this one are constructed similarly to those from the Warring States period in China. We know of them mainly from burials, and it seems that bronze items - both the making of and ownership of - were controlled by a limited elite who used them to acquire and maintain power over their own people. As elsewhere in the Old World, there is a clear relationship between sophisticated bronze metallurgical technology and the development of highly stratified, militaristic societies. Size: 2.8" W x 2.45" H (7.1 cm x 6.2 cm); 4.7" H (11.9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Butterfield 2006

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#139329
Condition Report: Small losses along the edge of the blade. Beautiful turquoise patina on surface and light encrusted deposits.