Details

LOT 0240

Viking Age Sword with Five-Lobed Pommel

10TH CENTURY A.D.

35 in. (755 grams, 89 cm).

A double-edged sword of Petersen Type L or S variant with straight tapering blade, light traces of pattern-welding and battle-nicks along the blade, tapering fullers and a sturdy long tang; boat-shaped lower guard curving gently towards the blade, decorated with punched ring-and-dot ornament along the edges; the upper guard with Trewhiddle Style ornament, surmounted by an elegant five-lobed pommel decorated with geometric patterns in the same style; cleaned and conserved.

Provenance

Acquired 1971-1972.
From the collection of the vendor's father.
Property of a London, UK, collector.

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 searcher certificate no.11574-198855.

Literature

Cf. Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Oakeshott, R.E., Records of the Medieval Sword, London, 2000; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; the sword finds parallels in various similar Viking age specimens of L variant, two very similar swords, both preserved at the British Museum (inv.1848,10-21.1 and 1856,7-1,1404), have been published by Peirce (2002, pp.77-81); however, the pommel is certainly akin to the type S swords, like an example from London (British Museum, accession number 1887,2-9,1, Peirce, 2002, pp.104-105) or a sword in the National Museum in Copenhagen (C16430, Peirce, 2002, pp.106-107).