Of course, how could I have forgotten Constantinople? In the 1500s, the Ottomans were bumping up against both Europe and Persia in a big way. That axe wears its age well, you must be pleased to have found it already on your wall!
Here is a photo of a Persian axe from the 1700s, the carving has a similar composition & gestural quality but is executed (sorry
) with a bit more care…photo from James Allan’s “Persian Steel: Masterpieces of Iranian Art” (ISBN 1850437181), the pictorial volume of the Tanavoli collection.
16th June 2009, 08:19 AM
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