Iron axe-hammer

Axe-hammers are extremely rare finds from Anglo-Saxon England. This example with decorative inlays may be an import from Merovingian Gaul, across the English Channel. It was found in the richly-furnished grave of a man alongside a sword, a belt-buckle ornamented with garnets and animal motifs, and two shoe-shaped belt studs.
The axe-hammer has a finely-shaped blade with a curved edge and a long, narrow hammer-head behind the socket. The wooden shaft has perished, replaced now with a modern replica. Unusually, the axe-hammer is inlaid with colour-contrasting metals, comprising a wide band of brass on the blade and hammer-head, and narrow copper strips on the socket. Weapons inlaid with wire were known to have been made in Continental workshops, and it is possible this one was too.
An axe-hammer was also found in the famous ship burial at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk. It is very different to this example, and has a long iron shaft, narrow head and has been reinterpreted recently as a sacrificial rather than a battle weapon.