Indo-Persian Inlaid Iron Talwar with Scabbard

A hollow-formed decorative mace or sceptre-head formed as a tubular neck with segmented collar, segmented shoulder above three radiating masks each with exaggerated circular eyes, brow developing to a triangular nose above a crescent mouth; neck developing to a ribbed collar below; mounted on a custom-made stand. 155 grams total, 10.8 cm including stand

Fine condition.

Property of a London gentleman; acquired on the London art market in the 2000s. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.

Double-edged long sword (spatha) of type Osterburken-Kemathen; the blade with squared shoulders, broken into two parts for sacrificial reasons, tapering towards the point; sturdy tang partially preserved; wooden traces of the scabbard and hilt still visible; accompanied by a bronze outer rim of a scabbard; restored. 630 grams total, 78 cm long



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

The deliberate fragmentation of a sword, often into three pieces, was a symbolic act of ‘killing’ the weapon, which was then placed as a grave good or offered in a ceremonial context. This was a Germanic custom already visible in the Vandal Przeworsk culture around the 3rd or 4th century A.D., which continued in Northern European areas until the 5th and the 6th centuries A.D.

Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved legend 'ΔΑМΑCΕΝΟΥ' = of Damasenos, and 'M' to reverse. 28.5 grams, 28 mm



Acquired on the German art market before 2000. Private collection, Munich, Germany.

The leaden bullets, which were thrown with slings, were called in Greek molivdainai (μολύβδαιναι), and in Latin glandes; the former indicating the material ‘lead’, the latter the shape ‘acorns’. These bullets, were cast in a mould and bore letters or devices, or both, on two sides or only on one side. In form they were more like an almond than an acorn, but many are pointed at both ends.