A rare Egyptian Epsilon Copper Battle Axe, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 11- 12, ca. 2040 - 1786 BCE

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A one-handed weapon, the other hand being occupied by a shield, this thin wide-edged blade was classed by Petrie as 'edged fighting baton'. In the form of the Greek letter epsilon, it is a slashing axe designed to inflict a swiping cut on an enemy. The axe has three pointed tangs forming two open scallops in the blade, creating a sharp outside edge with a dull and reinforced inside edge. The tangs would have been connected to a wooden shaft.Cf. Petrie, W.M.F. Tools & Weapons (London, 1917), pl. VI, no. 164;Condition: The axe is intact and in very good condition overall. Presented on a museum-quality mount.Dimensions: Length: 5 1/8 inches (13 cm)Provenance: Private collection of the late S. Dubiner, a well-known collection of ancient arms, excavated in Egypt in the 1950's, private Virginia collection, then private Californian collection. Show more