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.

Provenance

Acquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.

Literature

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.

Footnotes

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 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.

CONDITION

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LOT 0338