Hello,
I want to share a recent find of an exquisite silver decorated axe from Central Europe:

http://www.muzeumhk.cz/clanky-novy-nalez-tauzovane-sekery.html

Translation from museum website:
Axe is of smaller dimensions and is interesting mainly due to its silver inlay. The most distinctive decorative motive are birds at the body of the axe, other decorations are around the edges. With X-rays archaeologists found other decorations which are for now hidden under corrosion.
Preliminary dating is 9th century in the times of Great Moravia. There are no known similar discoveries from Czech Republic or in Central Europe. The axe was found in May of this year at the border of districts Jičín - Hradec Králové. Photographs are from time before conservation which is underway at this time. First reactions indicate this is one of the most unique artifacts from recent years in the area.

[ Linked Image ]
http://www.muzeumhk.cz/files/sekera/dsc-0201.jpg
http://www.muzeumhk.cz/files/sekera/dsc-0208.jpg
http://www.muzeumhk.cz/files/sekera/dsc-0175.jpg
http://www.muzeumhk.cz/files/sekera/3.jpg

There are some decorations on the sides as well. Excellent find!

Very nice.

The form of this axe seems very similar to the axe from Popęszyce in modern Western Poland.

http://znaleziska.org/wiki/index.php/Top%C3%B...99szyce)_1

The Popęszyce one apparently is completely unadorned, of course.