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LOT 0239
Viking Age Sword with Three-Lobed Pommel
EARLY 11TH CENTURY A.D.
35 1/2 in. (720 grams, 90 cm long).
A double-edged cutting sword of Oakeshott Type XII with inlaid hilt and tapering blade with shallow fullers; the lower guard gently curving and decorated with copper inlaid dots, upper guard and three-lobed pommel with similar decoration, traces of silver inlay to the hilt.
ProvenanceAcquired 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.11575-198856.
Cf. Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; Oakeshott, E., The sword in the age of chivalry, Woodbridge, 1998; this double-edged sword belongs to a group of swords, very similar to Viking Age Scandinavian examples, mostly found in the east of the Baltic; a very similar specimen to our sample is a contemporary sword from Leikkimäki, Kokemäki, Satakunta, Finland (Peirce, 2002, pp.138ff.).
FootnotesThe sword belongs to the Type XII of the Oakeshott classification (Oakeshott, 1998, pp.37ff.), the characteristics of which are a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt. After the publication of the Finnish specimen, Peirce, due to the inlaid inscriptions of this latter, noted a close parallel, both in style and content, with a sword in the Schweizerischen Landesmuseum in Zurich. In the expanded context including the example from Finland, Peirce was able to re-date them to the 11th century.
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
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Western Asiatic Tripartite Spearhead
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £102
A leaf-shaped blade with prominent midrib, square-section tang with expanding bent finial. 310 grams, 34 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Sassanian Spangenhelm with Rivets
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
A copper-alloy multi-segmented spangenhelm with an ogival profile, rivetted conical finial and riveted straps running vertically around the circumference, some restoration. 1.14 kg, 23 cm high
UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. 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.11589-199700.
The Spangenhelm is a protective headgear made up from segments or plates held together by a frame. As a popular form of helmet it came to prominence in western Europe in the later Roman Empire, and remained in use for some centuries until replaced by helmets formed from a single sheet. -
Luristan Sar-e Tabar Socketted Axehead
2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £111
A bronze axe with plain cylindrical socket and staff, off-set at the base, of simple undecorated shape with a long lentoid-section D-shaped blade with scooped profile. 465 grams, 18 cm
Fine condition, regular patina on the surface.
Earlier 20th century collection. London Mayfair gallery, UK. Dr D.G. collection, 1990s-2019.
Many examples of bronze axeheads are attributed to the Luristan culture and various shapes have been discussed by different scholars. Moorey (1971, pp.39-41) shows similar axeheads, stating that the texts executed on some specimens have shown them made of arsenical bronze, and attributes them to the late 3rd millennium B.C. or 2nd millennium B.C., period in which this alloy was used abundantly.
