Loading, please wait...
LOT 0288
Scandinavian Viking Iron Sword with Silver Inlaid Hilt
CIRCA 9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
27 1/4 in. (770 grams, 69.2 cm long).
Double-edged cutting sword of Petersen's Type K, with parallel-sided blade, shallow fullers showing some traces of pattern-welded construction and a possible inscription (+VLFBERHT+?) on both sides, short rectangular-section tang, boat-shaped lower guard with silver ring-chain ornament to the upper face; five-lobed pommel with remains of silver-sheet ornament to lower edge. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK
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.13433-261728.
See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002, pp.63-73, especially a sword in the National Museum in Dublin, Ireland.
FootnotesThis blade of 9th or 10th century A.D. is most beautifully shaped bearing a possible ‘VLFBERHT’ inscription, with the iron inlay of pattern-welded form. The elements of the hilt are inlaid in silver. Petersen regarded his type K with its characteristic five (rarely seven) lobed pommel as being native by Frankish lands by the Rhine, and speculated that the type came to Norway in the first half of 9th century as a result of Viking raids.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0288
Scandinavian Viking Iron Sword with Silver Inlaid Hilt
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000€5,800 - 8,120 (for guidance only)$6,750 - 9,450 (for guidance only)
-
.jpg)
Greek Armour Plate with Palmette
Hellenistic, 2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £11
Piriform in plan with convex surface, high-relief repoussé acanthus-leaf palmette; mounting holes at the narrow end, edge chipped. 39.6 grams, 15.3 cm
From the late collection of a Cornish couple, formed from the early 1990s. -
Eastern Balkans Iron T-Shaped Socketted Axehead
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
An iron axehead with a T-shaped blade, curved edge, lateral flanges to the socket, and a spiked head to the rear. 566 grams, 17 cm
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1960s. From the private collection of Mr J.P.H., a Woolwich, UK, collector, his collection formed since the 1960s. -
Mahdi Arm Dagger with Sheath
Sudan, late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Comprising a tongue-shaped two-edged blade and carved wooden hilt with bands of horizontal ribbing, integral crossguard and disc pommel with a domed button; leather sheath with crocodile-skin panels and twisted leather thong forming a thick suspension loop; leather-covered knop forming a chape. 172 grams, 27.5 cm
From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s.
