Medieval Iron Knife with Bronze Pommel

LATE 14TH CENTURY A.D.

7 1/2 in. (34 grams, 19.2 cm).

Comprising a single cutting edge and scale tang; bifacial pommel with incised profile figure to one face and an enigmatic design to the reverse.

Provenance

Acquired 1960s-1990s.
Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

Literature

Cf. Marquardt, K., Eight Centuries of European Knives, Forks and Spoons: an Art Collection, Europe, 1997, pp.28-32, for type and similar examples.

Footnotes

In the London excavations the largest group of knives belongs to the late 14th century A.D., and a variety of forms are represented including those with stepped backs. Most of the handles have decorative fittings, while the whittle tang handles by contrast are usually plain.

CONDITION

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LOT 1644