LOT 0390

East Roman Migration Period Sword with Jewelled Guard

5TH CENTURY AD

39 1/4" (2.9 kg including stand, 100cm).

A double-edged sword with broad pointed tip, battle nicks to both cutting edges and traces of scabbard to blade; the gilt lower guard with inset cloisonné garnets and four cut malachite inserts; the bronze guard extending over the tang, a silver rivet to the upper part of the tang, remains of wooden grip; mounted on a custom-made stand.

Ex Mr M. B., Mainz, Germany, since the 1990s; previously the property of his grandfather since the 1960s; accompanied by an archaeological report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D’Amato; accompanied by an expertise by Dr. Noel Adams; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10302-168751.

See Behmer, E., Das zweischneidige Schwert der germanischen Völkerwanderungszeit, Stockholm, 1939; Périn, P., Kazanski, M., ‘La tombe de Childéric, le Danube et la Méditerranée’ in Villes et campagnes en Neustrie, (Europe médiévale, 8) Montagnac, 2007, pp.29-38; Lebedinsky, I., Armes et guerriers barbares au temps des grandes invasions, Paris, 2001; Spier, J., Treasures of the Ferrell collection, Wiesbaden, 2010.

This sword belongs to a group of blades with wide guards, originating from Eastern Europe, particularly the Crimea and the Black Sea. The most striking examples are the sword of Dmytrivka (modern Ukraine, region of Zaporjjia), from a Hunnic grave, with the guard and its extending reinforcement collar inlaid with precious stones; the sword of Lermontovskaia (Russian Federation, North of Caucasus), from the grave of an Alan warrior (5th century AD), the guard inlaid with coloured glass; the Pokrovsk-Voskhod swords (Russian Federation, Region of Saratovo, on the Volga), from a Nomad grave of 5th century AD, with garnet cloisonné on a gold background (Lebedinsky, 2001, pp.121ff.) Three similar swords are kept in the Ferrell collection (Spier, 2010, pp.158, 162ff.) They are all characterised by a high and massive guard, often decorated with inlaid garnets or stones and glass.