Ancient Near East, Middle Bronze Age, 2100 BC - 1800 BC. Bronze zoomorphic axe head, better known as a €˜Ducks Bill€™ variant. It essentially comprises a socketed section for the wooden shaft, and a triangular blade (worn through prolonged use) with two oval €˜eyes€™ which are in fact the apertures between the fortifying struts that support the bill-shaped blade and lend it integral strength. The metal has acquired a dark, glossy patina from millennia of burial. Custom stand. Blade measures just under 5"L, intact, superb patina. Provenance