**Originally Listed At $600**
Central Asia, India, Gangetic Basin, Copper Hoard Culture, ca. 1000 BCE. A heavy copper harpoon terminating in a rounded point with rows of sharp teeth down its sides and a thick mid-rib. Copper artifacts like this harpoon, axes, and adze heads, all with elegant proportions and nice craftsmanship, are all we know of this culture. Some scholars have suggested that the copper and sometimes bronze objects associated with it are evidence of a trade route and culture influence from the Ancient Near East, particularly Luristan. These harpoons were likely made for hunting, but a large number of them have also been excavated from temples, such as those found at the Temple of Somesvar Mahadeva in 1891. They may therefore have had a votive function as well as a utilitarian one. Size: 1.6″ W x 12.95″ H (4.1 cm x 32.9 cm); 13.8″ H (35.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: ex-private southern California, USA collection, acquired before 2000
