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LOT 0338
Luristan Bronze Sword with Mushroom Pommel
LATE 2ND-EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
23 1/4 in. (790 grams, 59 cm).
The hilt with mushroom-shaped pommel, grip decorated with horizontal flat grooves, crescentic guard, long blade with ridged mid-grip.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
See a similar sword in Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003) in Russian, pl.XIV, no.40, from Luristan; Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 1, London, 2002, item 24, p.27.
FootnotesThis 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 a 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. Gorelik extends the dating to the 8th-7th century B.C.
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AUCTIONS:
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Western Asiatic White Veined Grey Stone Mace Head
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Barrel-shaped in profile with vertical socket expanding towards the base, rounded neck. 356 grams, 83 mm
Ex London gentleman's collection, 1990s. -
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Western Asiatic Iron Axehead
Circa 14th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
With swept blade and triangular socket with extension to the rear; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 659 grams total including stand, axehead: 24.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Migration Period Iron Sword with Jewelled Hilt
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,000
Comprising: a spatha-type two-edged tapering blade, lentoid in section with sloped shoulders and short tang pierced by an attachment rivet for the grip; traces to both faces of the blade of wooden fibre from the scabbard; edges lightly notched but substantially complete; the lower guard rectangular in plan and scaphoid in section with inset garnet cloisons, triangular along the lower row and heart-shaped above, rectangular at the top, with small rectangular slivers at each end; accompanied by the upper roundel of the pommel, set with four garnet cloisons. 954 grams, 84.5 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. 12357-225921.
These ‘ceremonial’ swords (in reality widely used in battle) with an inlaid guard are according to Kazanski Late Roman in origin. The cloisonné decoration was probably linked with the production of particularly ornamented swords in the ateliers of the Roman capital of Constantinople. This typology of weapon was not only produced as a gift for Barbarian chiefs allied to the empire, but it was also adopted by the Imperial army, and reserved for the Imperial officers, who were often of Germanic or Asiatic origin.
