Luristan Bronze Short Sword

Double-edged cutting sword of Petersen type A with a finely tapering blade, showing pattern-welding; upper and lower guards with strongly curved sides; the cross-guard boat-shaped with an acute tapering tang; the pommel attached with two nails to the original boat-shaped upper guard. 809 grams, 85.5 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 no. 13064-249347.

Petersen originally individuated eight examples of this sword’s typology, one of the first categories of Viking swords, although these swords were also widely used in the Carolingian Empire and widespread among the Italic population as well (frescoes from the Necropolis of S.Andrea Priu, Sardegna, 8th or 9th century AD), where specimens are still attested in the 10th century A.D (D’Amato-Salimbeti, 2020, p.23). The evenly wide, three-sided pommel, narrower than the guard, was the most characteristic element of such swords, and in some cases it was divided into three segments, or even seven segments (swords from Neri, Opstryn s., Stryn, Nordfjord). Thes tend to be confused with the similar pommels of the swords of H typology (Petersen, 1919, pp.89ff.), but in these latter swords the guards are wider and with an elliptical cross-section.

An iron long sword of Stead's Type II with two-edged, parallel-sided flat-section blade, rounded shoulders, long lenticular-section tang with knop finial. 760 grams total, 40 cm



Acquired on the German art market. Private collection, Germany. Kept in the UK from 2016.

Comprising a leaf-shaped blade with a raised midrib extending to the shaft with a flared collar, rectangular-section tang with curved end and a button finial. 608 grams, 34.2 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

The type belongs to the category of tripartite lances with a long, pointed biconvex blade and single bevelled tang. In this typology, the blade, of rhomboidal section, is usually well balanced. The stem, medium or short, is widened at its base and forms a fairly clean stop. Elements of the shaft of a similar spear found at Tepe Hissar have allowed the reconstruction of the length of the spear reaching up to 1.40 m.