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1884.26.1

Miners' ceremonial axe with inlaid haft. [SM (Verve) 03/02/2015]

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1884.26.1

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Collection type
Object
Description
Miners' ceremonial axe with inlaid haft. [SM (Verve) 03/02/2015]
Long description
Miners' ceremonial axe with inlaid haft. The blade is made from iron or steel with an expanded and pointed blade that has a decorative perforation in the centre, three small round perforations near the bottom and five small round perforations near the top. The haft is inlaid with ivory along its length and has an ivory base. On the back of the haft is a crucifix with the letters INRI at the base of the haft is an ivory plaque engraved with date 1675. The designs include geometric and floral motifs, circles and crossed swords. [SM (Verve) 03/02/2015]
Cultural groups
German
Date / Period
Date made: 1675
Date collected
By 1862
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884
Materials and processes
Material Animal Ivory Tooth, Material Animal Bone, Material Wood Plant, Material Steel Metal, Material Iron Metal, Process Inlaid, Process Carved, Process Inscribed, Process Forged (Metal), Process Perforated
Dimensions
Length: max 900 mm, Width: max 221 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.26.1 PR Cat other PR nos: 964
Research and responses

Note that the 1862 catalogue says this object is Dutch [AP 16/02/2012]

The Additional Pitt Rivers Catalogue entry is a reference to Allgemeine Culturwissenschaft. The materiellen Grundlagen menschlicher Cultur. Werkzeuge und Waffen by Gustav Klemm (Leipzig 1854). This type of axe is described in detail on p. 127/128 of the book [p. 141/142 of the PDF version available on Google Books].

See article by Elin Bornemann (August 2012) 'Three Ceremonial Miner's Axes' as part of the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project at http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/rpr/index.php/object-biography-index/1-prmcollection/831-three-ceremonial-miners-axes [HA 11/09/2015]

Associated publications
C ffoulkes. 1912. 'European Arms and Armour in the University of Oxford' Clarendon Press, Oxford. p41 '70 Ceremonial axe German XVII cent.The haft is of light wood inlaid with ivory. On the back of the haft is a crucifix with the letters INRI at the base of the haft is an ivory plaque engraved with date 1675. The blade is fretted in geometrical designs, the back of the axe is a square roughened hammer head. Pitt Rivers coll 964' [illustration] [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998] This object was featured in the Museum's audio guide produced during the DCF-funded 'What's Upstairs?' project, 2004–2006. [BR 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 8/11/2005]

Search terms: Weapon, Ritual and Ceremonial, Writing, Status, Tool, Axe, Inscription, Ceremonial Object

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