Turkish Tabar or Tabarzin Axe with goldwork and mythological scenes

A scarce Turkish or Persian Saddle Axe ‘Tabarzin’. The steel mounts richly decorated with thick gold decoration, the head decorated to both sides with deeply chiselled panels most unsually depicting Greek mythological scenes – one with Diana the goddess of hunting with Cupid, the other probably showing Acteaon hunting on horseback. The heavy axe has facetted steel mounts beneath the head, each face of which has repeated gold decoration, the handle section with some wear from use, the very end of the handle with a sturdy iron ring to hang thr axe from a saddle or strap. The central region covered with silk velvet (worn) with a strip of steel damascened in gold with silver round headed studs. This axe is paired with the mace also pictured with which it shares the same decoration. Early 19th century.  Middle east