Axe head
Unknown Artist
ca. early 2nd millennium BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
4.13 x 5 in. (10.49 x 12.7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Implements
Culture & Period
Elamite · Old Elamite
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Farhadi & Anvian Co., 1965
Accession Number
65.145.1
Art Historical Context
This finely crafted bronze axe head hails from the Old Elamite period in ancient southwestern Iran, around the early 2nd millennium BCE Measuring a compact 4.13 x 5 inches, it exemplifies the metalworking prowess of the Elamites, a civilization contemporaneous with Mesopotamia's early dynasties. As a practical implement, it likely served both as a tool for woodworking or agriculture and a weapon in warfare or hunting, reflecting the dual-role artifacts common in ancient societies. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, represented a technological leap during this era, enabling stronger, more dur...