Neanderthal Multicolored Jasper Handaxe
Middle Paleolithic (approx. 150,000-50,000 years ago), Fontmaure, France
No reserve
Auction Closed
July 14, 07:13 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Neanderthal Multicolored Jasper Handaxe
Produced by Homo neanderthalensis
Middle Paleolithic (approx. 150,000-50,000 years ago)
Fontmaure, France
5⅛ x 4 x 1½ inches (13 x 10.3 x 3.7 cm), 5¾ inches (14.5 cm) on stand.
An exceptionally large, intact, and vibrant Neanderthal handaxe (biface) made of multicolored Fontmaure jasper and of broadly cordiform shape. The surface displays an interplay of creamy white with vivid purple, orange, and yellow veining, characteristic of the finest material from the Fontmaure site. The flaking is crisp and well controlled, preserving both the integrity of the form and the natural beauty of the stone.
Included in the lot is a copy of Tony Berlant and Thomas Wynn's First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone (Nasher Sculpture Center, 2018), where the present piece is illustrated.
Formerly in the collection of artist Tony Berlant (b. 1941).
With EU license 2025DMF0222 permitting export, issued by the French Ministry of Culture
First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone. 27 January - 29 April 2018. Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas.
The Origins of Sculpture. 27 September 2023 - 7 January 2024. Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece.
Berlant, Tony, and Thomas Wynn. First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone. Nasher Sculpture Center, 2018, Cat. 57.
Galanidou, Nena, et al., editors. The Origins of Sculpture: Archaeological Finds from the Old World and Lesbos 2.5 Million to 50,000 Years Before Present. University of Crete/Benaki Museum, 2023, Cat. 66.
AN EXCEPTIONAL NEANDERTHAL HANDAXE MADE FROM VIVIDLY COLOURED FONTMAURE JASPER
Formerly in the Tony Berlant collection and recovered from the celebrated Paleolithic site of Fontmaure in central France, this outstanding handaxe represents one of the most compelling examples of Neanderthal workmanship to come from this celebrated collection site.
The form is well balanced and the flaking carefully controlled, defining the edges while preserving the overall symmetry of the piece. The shaping of the piece demonstrates a high level of technical skill, producing a tool that is both effective in function and refined in appearance. The scale of the present example is also notable, it being significantly larger than many comparable handaxes from this famed locality.
What sets this piece apart, however, is the extraordinary quality of the material. Fontmaure is celebrated for its richly colored jasper, prized for the vivid veining and dramatic tonal variation running through the stone. In the present example, the creamy white background is animated by vivid purple, deep ochre, orange, and yellow inclusions, producing one of the most visually striking handaxes known from the site. The careful knapping preserves and accentuates these natural patterns.
The present handaxe has been described by prehistorian Duncan Caldwell as “the biggest and most exotic ‘cordiform’” he has seen from Fontmaure, noting the extraordinary colors “one hardly imagines as being within the repertoire of rock." As has often been observed of the Fontmaure assemblage, Neanderthal toolmakers appear to have been drawn not only to the functional qualities of the material, but also to its color and pattern.
Its inclusion in the Nasher Sculpture Center’s landmark exhibition First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone and the Benaki Museum’s The Origins of Sculpture underscores its importance within current discussions of early toolmaking and aesthetic awareness.
At once technically accomplished and visually arresting, this handaxe stands among the finest expressions of Neanderthal craftsmanship, where material, form, and perception are brought into rare alignment.