Highly collectible piece. Egypt, probably pre-Dynastic Chalcolithic Naqada I period, circa 3000 BCE. An axe with a petaloid shape, elaborated with a siliceous (quartz-cemented) sandstone or quartzite, from continental sediments and, in part, shallow nearshore marine sediments; and a polished surface. (We lack the lab equipment for doing a proper geological test). The piece has a very pleasing weight in the hand and was likely mounted on perishable material in its original use. Items shaped like this one have been found in Naqada I, 4400 to 3500 B.C archaeological sites. Provenance: Private Collector New Jersey, 2023.