Ca. 1000-1200 AD. Viking Age. A heavy iron battle axe with a curved blade, a tapering cheek, a heavy, reinforced poll and socket. The cheeks are beautifully decorated with incised linear and star motifs. Good condition; mounted on a custom-made stand. The bearded axe, or Skeggøx (from Old Norse Skegg, "beard", and øx, "axe") was common from the 6th century AD onwards in Scandinavia but made most famous by the Vikings, who used these axes in battles to terrible effect. In bearded axes, the main part of the axe blade extends below the butt of the axe, creating a large cutting blade and allowing a fighter to hook onto the shields or weapons of their opponents. For more information on Viking axes, see Hubbard, B. (2016) The Viking Warrior. London: Amber Books Ltd, 139-141.Size: L:125mm / W:225mm ; 1.1kg. Provenance: From the private collection of an Oxford gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed in before 2000 on the UK / International art markets.