Viking Age Iron Bearded Axehead

Comprising a globular flail head with large suspension loop above and sixteen spiked projections to the sides. 829 grams, 89 mm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The medieval flail was a weapon mainly used in Eastern Europe, probably created among the Steppe people and used by the Mongols, adopted by the Slavic people under the name of kisten. Such a weapon probably saw little use in Western Europe, where it is first represented in the 14th century in a fresco depicting the battle of Nineveh painted by Piero della Francesca, as a chain with three maceheads. In the poem Le Chevalier Délibéré written by Olivier de la Marche and published in 1486, there is an engraving representing a knight carrying a rather simple morning star with asymmetrically mounted quills and a single-ball flail of quills. It is thought that in the Middle Ages the nailed mace in general was used to break through and dismantle the armour of enemies who were then 'finished' with swords or daggers.

With a narrow pointed blade and wide raised flange down centre, straight sides, well marked shoulders with narrow tang, one hole for rivet. 128 grams total, 17.6 cm high including stand



From the possessions of a member of a German princely family, gathered in the late 19th century, until the 1930s. with Auction House CUSP, Vienna, Auction Antique Art from Asia and from the Eastern Mediterranean, 16 June 2012, lot 75 [Part].

The type was technically more advanced than previous types of blades in the Near East, owing to the shape of the weapon, with its slightly convex sides widening out near the point, which combined the advantages of the leaf-shaped and straight-sided forms.

With a double-edged tapering blade, long tapering fullers and a narrow tang; boat-shaped bronze cross-guard with Jellinge Style decoration; the upper guard with similar ornament topped by a seven-lobed pommel. 675 grams, 88 cm

The blade is generally complete and in good conditions, although traces of corrosion are visible on the surface and on the edges; both cutting edges show strong traces of employ on battlefield, with battle-nicks along their length; pitting from possible water depot; still-homogenous blade structure, with strong delamination and material losses visible on the original surface of the metal.

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 number no.12011-213595.

This Couronian sword finds a good parallel with Baltic swords, used by Prussian, Couronians, Estonian and Lithuanian pagan warriors; see a sword once in the Prussian Museum, inventory V. Nr. 8368, from Janischken (Fig. 1,a); other clear parallels can be seen in Kazakevičius, 1996, figs.62-63 (fig.2) and Tomsons, 2012, fig.2 (Fig.3),3,7. The Curonian swords of this type, sometimes with animal head decoration on the lower guard, were widespread and used in the Eastern Baltic lands from 10th to 13th century.