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LOT 1554
Luristan Bronze Blade
12TH CENTURY B.C.
16 1/8 in. (245 grams, 41 cm).
With lentoid-section blade, tongue-shaped in plan, with integral tapering hilt with flared finial, lateral flanges to accept an organic panel forming the grip.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran - The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.381, cat.6.
FootnotesThe art of Luristan can be described as the art of nomadic herdsmen and horsemen with an emphasis on the crafting of small, easily portable objects, among these a great number of bronze weapons. The rich and noble aristocrats of the Luristan, Elamites, Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Kassites, went to battle splendidly equipped and wore magnificent bronze armour, using maces, spears and daggers as offensive weapons, alongside spears, bows and arrows.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic Bronze Short Sword with Mushroom Pommel
Late 2nd-early 1st millennium B.CEstimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £222
The hilt with mushroom-shaped pommel, round grip, crescentic guard, long sloping blade with rectangular-section mid-ridge. 1.04 kg, 56.5 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This category of swords has been classified by Khorasani as 'swords with a mushroom pommel' and are usually characterised by a solid-cast hilt with a penannular guard, a ribbed or variously decorated grip and the conical hollow-cast mushroom pommel. Usually the blade is multi-fullered and tapers to a sharp tip. Moorey considers them to be from the end of the 2nd millennium B.C. -
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