Property from an Important Private Collection A SAXON MINERS GUILD AXE, DATED 1739

Property from an Important Private Collection A SAXON MINERS GUILD AXE, DATED 1739 with iron head pierced with a slipped trefoil and two groups of three holes, impressed on one face ~3889~, extending at the terminal point (cracked) to a brass acorn finial, square rear pean, engraved bone sectional haft decorated over its full surface with eight differing scenes from miners~ lives, after Hans Rudolf Manuel Deutsch and Blasius Weffring, the topmost section decorated with Christ crucified flanked by a pair of praying miners, the pious inscription ~Mein grubenlich soll Jesus sein / mit freuden fahr ich aus und ein~ (My inner light shall be Jesus / with joy I travel out and in), the date and an elaborate flower above the crossed swords of the Archmarshallship of the empire and the arms of Saxony on one side and the miners~ emblem, a pair of crossed stone hammers on the other, the basal cap decorated with the figure of Augustus III, Elector of Saxony beneath an electoral bonnet on one face and the mounted figure of Maria Joseph on the other (small chips, basal plaque missing) 84.5 cm; 33 1/4 in overall