Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1276
Bronze Age Rapier or Short Sword Blade
11TH-9TH CENTURY B.C.
12 3/8 in. (223 grams, 31.5 cm).
With ogival sides, a raised mid-rib and lozenge-shaped shoulders, remains of the tang with a hole for the insertion of the fastening rivet. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Acquired in the late 19th century.
Ex private collection, Liverpool, UK.
Helios Gallery Antiquities, Wiltshire, UK.
Private collection, Preston, UK.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Helios Gallery no.H3163r.
Literature
Cf. British Museum accession no.1890,1113.6, for one of the swords from Charenton Hoard, France; see also Gagnière, S.,Germand, L., Granier, I., Les Armes et les outils protostoriques en bronze du Musée Calvet D'Avignon, Avignon, 1963, no.37, for a similar blade.
Footnotes
The top of the sword is missing, and the shape of the blade resembles that of swords of the late European Bronze Age, but the particular shape of the central groove of the blade, which forms a three-quarter median rib before tapering towards the point, could lead one to believe that the sword was of the antennal type with median rib, like the sword from Central Italy preserved in the Calvet Museum, Avignon.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Large Bronze Age Chariot Terret Ring
10th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A heavy duty oval-shaped ring the ends tapering either side into fixing spikes. 354 grams, 21 cm
Ex old English collection. London art market, 1980s. -
Bronze Age Pendant Pair
10th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Comprising a pair of heavy crescent-shaped penannular rings each attached to a split ring. 84 grams total, 62-63 mm
Ex old English collection. London art market, 1980s. -
Bronze Age Pancake Ingot Fragment Group
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Comprising three pieces of copper 'bun' ingot, one showing the characteristic edge cross-section. 508 grams total, 54-69 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s.
These bun ingots were cast in shallow saucer depressions cut into rock where the copper ore was mined and smelted; they were then carried and traded across Europe before being broken up, melted down and having tin added to form bronze alloy; fragments such as these are frequently found as part of smith's hoards of, usually, worn out tools, weapons and raw material from the Late Bronze Age.
