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LOT 0261
Viking Age Silver and Latten Inlaid Seax War Knife
10TH CENTURY A.D.
10 7/8 in. (166 grams, 27.5 cm).
An iron single-edged angle-backed knife with tapering tang; silver and latten inlay to both faces. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.
Cf. The British Museum, museum number 1881,0623.1, for a similar knife.
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:
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Viking Age Iron Sword with Cocked Hat Type Pommel
10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Petersen Type L variant with double-edged pattern-welded blade (waving pattern) showing evidence of being employed, tapering fullers and hefty tang; boat-shaped lower guard, cocked hat pommel with traces of silver inlay; some restoration. 996 grams, 90 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 number no.11816-206858.
This sword shows evidence of beautiful pattern-welding. The great curvature of the hilt, stronger than any other type of Viking swords, characterises the typology of L swords. This is clearly visible on the specimens from Dolven and Nedre (Stokke) published by Petersen (1919, figs.94-95). -
Etrusco-Italic Breastplate with Mythical Animal
5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
Displaying a repoussé horned animal advancing right, two roundels composed of bulbous rivets flanking the animal and encircling the central design; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 626 grams total, 28.5 cm high including stand
Collection of Jacques and Henriette Schumann, formed between 1950 and 1970. The Schumanns inherited part of their collection from Henriette’s parents, Alice and Fernand Halphen, andjacques’ maternal grandfather, Albert Lehmann. Collection of Jacques and Henriette Schumann, Christie's, Paris, 30th September 2003, lot 85. Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.107322. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11877-207824.
This type of armour, composed from a bronze breast and back plate with hinged shoulder straps, all the parts backed with iron, was used by Etruscans, Hernici, Aequi and Volsci, the feared enemies of early Rome. In particular our item has many parallels with the disc-cuirass (cardiophylax) found in the Necropolis of Alfadena. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Axehead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
With central socket and shaft; cutting blade set vertically at a right-angle; the short pick-adze blade arranged horizontally. 1.3 kg, 26 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
The earliest axe-adzes from the 3rd millennium B.C. were weapons and tools furnished with socket holes. Usually a socket was a more secure way of attaching the object to a wooden haft than having a tang. These weapons developed into a plethora of different forms in the 2nd millennium B.C., and the numerous new forms and were used until at least 800 B.C.
