ca. 1000–1200 AD. Viking Age. An iron bearded axe head with swept upper face to the gently curved blade, a socket with lateral wings above and below, and an elongated, curved poll. Bearded axes were common from the 6th century AD onwards in Scandinavia but made especially famous by the Vikings; in bearded axes, the main part of the blade extends below the butt of the axe creating a large cutting blade that allows fighters to hook onto the shields or weapons of their opponents.Provenance: From an old London collection formed in the 1990s;Size: L:125mm / W:120mm ; 350g