Description
Bactria-Margiana, modern day central Asia, ca. 3rd or 2nd millennium BCE. This is a heavy cast bronze axe head with a pleasing asymmetric shape: it flows from a vertically oriented blade to a horizontally oriented one in a smooth movement on either side of a wide rounded socket. the piece shows signs of use rather than just being made for ceremonial or funerary purposes. As ever, central Asia was a cross roads during this time period: people here were influenced by Iran in the west and the Indus valley civilization like Harappa in the east: however they has their own distinctive bronze style.
