Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 9

Paleolithic Flint Handaxe from Prehistoric Northern France

$16,379.58List Price

About the Item

A remarkably fine and perfectly preserved example of the earliest human technology, knapped from a nodule of blackbrown flint. Dull when freshly knapped, flint can acquire an intense lustre over countless years of silica precipitation. Here, the glasslike surface and deep, black-purple patina is the result of silica precipitation from groundwater into tiny pores within the stone. An accidental embellishment, highlighting not just the hue of the flint, but the skilful knapping of its anonymous maker. Around 1.7 million years ago, occurred the dawn of the first human technology: the Acheulean. Accompanying the evolution of a larger-brained form of the genus Homo, the leaf-shape or teardrop stone tool is an almost iconic representation of our early ancestors, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo erectus. Developing from the more primitive Oldowan technology, where a stone core had just one or two chips removed to create an edge, Acheulean hand axes constitute one of the major transitions in human evolution. The early hominin could now produce a beautiful geometric stone axe with edges of glass-like sharpness; a multi-purpose tool that provided the means for survival in a harsh environment. Lasting from c.1.7 million to c.100,000 years ago, the Acheulean industry remains the most widespread and enduring human technology ever created. As an integral part of early human biological and psychological development, Acheulean axes are also known to the modern mind as the stone that ‘shattered the time barrier’. The discovery of Acheulean hand axes alongside fossilised animal remains by 19th century archaeologists alerted them to the existence of humans in a time well before the Biblical Flood. By shifting temporal perceptions of the human race, these stone tools challenged the prevailing narrative of the Creation. Their discovery has significantly shaped our understanding of our ancestors, and today, they are also invaluable markers of early human distribution around the globe. PROVENANCE: Oise, Northern France (by repute). Collection of Jean-Claude Debenne (1936-2020). Exported under CBC 242804. PUBLISHED: ArtAncient, Before Art, Frieze Masters, 2023, No. 21

Dimensions:
Height: 5.4 in (13.7 cm)Diameter: 3.15 in (8 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Stone
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Circa .700,000 - 300,000 BC
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1052244850892

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Unknown Animal Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Large Prehistoric Ammonite

$1,200

H 5 in Dm 17 in

Prehistoric Fossil Fish Specimen

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

This rare fossil of a prehistoric fish is an impressive specimen originating from Brazil, preserved by time over millions of years. Mounted on a metal...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Natural Specimens

Materials

Stone, Metal

Prehistoric Fossil Fish Specimen

$2,654

H 14.18 in W 29.14 in D 5.52 in

Set of Three Prehistoric Ammonite

Located in Miami, FL

Set of three prehistoric ammonite fossil, unmounted. Measurements: Big amonite: Depth *4.5in Width *5.5in Height *1.6in Medium amonite: Depth *4.1in Width *5.1in Height *1.6in...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Prehistoric Natural Specimens

Set of Three Prehistoric Ammonite

$1,920 / set

H 1.6 in W 5.5 in D 4.5 in

Set of Three Kokeshi Dolls from Northern Japan

Located in Antwerp, BE

Kokeshi (こけしこけし, kokeshi), are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines t...

Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Set of Three Kokeshi Dolls from Northern Japan

$1,124 / set

H 29.93 in Dm 7.09 in

Huge Prehistoric Fossilised Whale Bone

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

Standing at over 120cm (47 inches) tall, this rare prehistoric fossilised whale bone is a fascinating sculptural artefact for an interior or live-in museum....

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier English Mounted Objects

Materials

Metal

Huge Prehistoric Fossilised Whale Bone

$12,250

H 47.64 in W 24.41 in D 14.18 in

Prehistoric Brannerion Fossil Fish Specimen

Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire

This rare Brannerion fossil specimen of a prehistoric fish is an impressive find from an ex private British collection. Believed to be from Brazil, t...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Natural Specimens

Materials

Natural Fiber

Prehistoric Brannerion Fossil Fish Specimen

$9,274

H 17.33 in W 24.61 in D 7.88 in

Tibetan Mechag Flint Striker, c. 1850

Located in Chicago, IL

In 19th-century Tibet, many men carried a fire striker to help ensure survival in the often-harsh climate of the Tibetan Plateau. Known as mechag, such st...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Tibetan Tibetan Mounted Objects

Materials

Metal, Steel

Tibetan Mechag Flint Striker, c. 1850

$680

H 4.5 in W 3 in D 1.75 in

Flint Sculpture by Pol Quadens

Located in Geneve, CH

Flint Sculpture by Pol Quadens Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 100 x W 140 x H 600 cm. Materials: Polished stainless steel. Pol Quadens was born in Brussels....

Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

Flint Sculpture by Pol Quadens

$208,284 / item

H 236.23 in W 55.12 in D 39.38 in

Flint X Sculpture by Pol Quadens

Located in Geneve, CH

Flint X Sculpture by Pol Quadens Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 20 x H 110 cm. Materials: Polished stainless steel. Dimensions may vary. Please contact us. Pol Quadens was born in Br...

Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

Flint X Sculpture by Pol Quadens

$6,508 / item

H 43.31 in Dm 7.88 in

Flint V Sculpture by Pol Quadens

Located in Geneve, CH

Flint V Sculpture by Pol Quadens Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 55 x W 75 x H 250 cm. Materials: Polished stainless steel. Pol Quadens was born in Brussels....

Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stainless Steel

Flint V Sculpture by Pol Quadens

$52,071 / item

H 98.43 in W 29.53 in D 21.66 in

More From This Seller

View All

Puddingstone Mill from Roman France

Located in London, GB

Carved from a mosaic-like rock, this striking sculpture is the lower grinding stone from a Gallo-Roman millstone - a powerful and aesthetic symbol of life two millennia ago. It is ma...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier French Classical Roman Mounted Objects

Materials

Stone

Puddingstone Mill from Roman France

$25,000

Free Shipping

Late Bronze Age Sword from France with Golden Lustre

Located in London, GB

This sleek and extremely well-preserved sword is an icon of warrior culture from the Late Bronze Age. Its finely incised decoration and near perfect form creates a timeless and elega...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier French Mounted Objects

Materials

Bronze

Late Bronze Age Sword from France with Golden Lustre

$75,000

Free Shipping

Petrified Conifer Wood from Arizona

Located in London, GB

A large section of a petrified conifer tree trunk, (Araucarioxylon arizonicum) from Northern Arizona, dating to the Triassic period, circa 225 million years ago. Over hundreds of m...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Wall-mounted Sculptures

Materials

Quartz

Petrified Conifer Wood from Arizona

$7,500

Free Shipping

Translucent Desert Glass from Meteorite Impact

Located in London, GB

This strikingly translucent piece of Libyan Desert Glass is a remarkable example of a mysterious natural phenomenon, and striking display piece. It formed when a meteorite impact in ...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Natural Specimens

Materials

Glass

Translucent Desert Glass from Meteorite Impact

$8,500

Free Shipping

Sculptural Meteorite Fragment from the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite

Located in London, GB

From the largest meteorite shower in recorded history, this impressive iron fragment is a beautiful natural sculpture from the Sikhote-Alin meteorite. Formed 4.5 billion years ago, i...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Natural Specimens

Materials

Iron

Sculptural Meteorite Fragment from the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite

$43,700

Free Shipping

Large and Sculptural Stony Meteorite

Located in London, GB

This strikingly large chondrite meteorite featuring dramatic thumb-print impressions (regmaglypts) and a lustrous surface, is a rare and oriented natural sculpture from outer space....

Category