Denmark
Mid 3rd millennium BC
Stone
Height: 7⅜ in (18.7 cm), with museum mount
Provenance: Alistair MacAlpine, London
This chisel dates to the Danish Neolithic period and is associated with the Singlegrave culture, a late Neolithic tradition known for individual burial practice and distinctive tool production. Stone chisels of this type were ground and knapped to precise functional standards, reflecting a high level of craft specialization in Neolithic Scandinavia. The period represents one of the final phases of stone tool technology before the transition to metal in Northern Europe.
The piece displays strong bilateral symmetry along its vertical axis, with a well-formed cutting edge polished to a glassy finish through deliberate abrasion. Surface patination is consistent with age, lending the object a sculptural presence that has made examples of this type appealing to collectors of both archaeology and modernist form. The provenance to Alistair MacAlpine, London, places it within a distinguished collecting tradition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Denmark
Mid 3rd millennium BC
Stone
Height: 7⅜ in (18.7 cm), with museum mount
Provenance: Alistair MacAlpine, London
This chisel dates to the Danish Neolithic period and is associated with the Singlegrave culture, a late Neolithic tradition known for individual burial practice and distinctive tool production. Stone chisels of this type were ground and knapped to precise functional standards, reflecting a high level of craft specialization in Neolithic Scandinavia. The period represents one of the final phases of stone tool technology before the transition to metal in Northern Europe.
The piece displays strong bilateral symmetry along its vertical axis, with a well-formed cutting edge polished to a glassy finish through deliberate abrasion. Surface patination is consistent with age, lending the object a sculptural presence that has made examples of this type appealing to collectors of both archaeology and modernist form. The provenance to Alistair MacAlpine, London, places it within a distinguished collecting tradition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
