A fine Luristan cast bronze axe head featuring a long cylindrical shaft hole which leads to a relatively narrow blade which extends from the shaft and broadens out into a slightly slanted cutting edge. Patination and some earthy encrustations remain on the surface. There is a crack across the middle of the shaft. Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, a region situated in the area of modern South-Western Iran. Axe heads, such as this nice example, would have been used in everyday life but also buried together with the deceased. Measurements: L 12.6cm x H 9.3cm Provenance: Ex Japanese private collection, formed 1970-2010.