Indian Tulwar Iron Sword Hilt Pair

Comprising axeheads of different types, together with a pickaxe with a small hammer-style butt. 5.48 kg total, 16-30 cm



Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.

Various axes of similar types have been recovered from the colonies of the New World. One of our specimen seems to be a French hatchet marked with a cross and circle, like the one found in the estate of Tom Wnuck.

Comprising a double-edged cutting blade with tapering fullers and hefty tang; the bronze cross guard in Jellinge style with dragon head finials and a central human face to the lower edge; the pommel with seven lobes; accompanied by a bronze openwork chape with central bird motif decorated with stamped ring-and-dot design. 900 grams, 89.5 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11821-206859.

The blade of the sword is very similar to Petersen Type K; the hilt is a typical Type K, but having seven rather than five lobes to the pommel. The chape, the parallels of which are mostly of late 10th and early 11th centuries, is probably a later addition, possibly reworked to be fitted to the sword.

With cylindrical head and narrow flanged base, the head divided in four petals. 490 grams, 60 mm



Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.

Assyrian and Urartian officers are identified by their weapons in the reliefs. It is not so easy to definitely identify cavalry officers on the palace reliefs of the Assyrian kings, but their identification is based mainly on the context they appear in, and on some insignia (mace, sceptre) they carry with them. Hence, the mace was not only a practical weapon, but also a command insignia.