Viking Iron Bearded Axehead

A single-edged hand-forged sabre with a gently curving blade, an iron band welded beneath the cross guard, together with a tongue along the side of the blade; the separate gilt cross guard with spherical ornamented finials to the quillons, the central panel with a stylised face flanked by a pair of leaping lions biting the top of the head, the other side with a lozenge within a ropework frame. 610 grams, 80.5 cm

Fine condition.

Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector. Accompanied by an academic report by military specialist 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.114437-196034.

This exceptional sabre shows similarity with examples from the Caucasus and Kuban regions. The blade could be Khazar-Magyar, and certainly its best parallels are the specimens from Verchne-Szaltovo area. According to M. Gorelik, some of these sabres were produced by the Kabarians, a breakaway tribe from the Khazar State, who formed an alliance with the Magyars. The extra band welded beneath the quillons, together with the side tongue, not only protected the scabbard from being cut by the blade but, more importantly, defended the warrior’s fingers which were wrapped around the quillons when fighting.

With long blade, shallow midrib, rectangular-section tang; engraved, reinforced shaft, and squared shoulders. 423 grams, 34.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

According to Gernez, this spear belongs to the group of tripartite spears with bulging biconcave ogival blade, a marked stop and tang, usually curved. The tomb KCG 14 of Carchemish, yielded a similar example, in association with spears and ceramic dated from the second half of the 3rd millennium. A very similar spear comes from a tomb at Tell Mozan. A larger example with a decoration of rings in relief on the stem belongs to the λ deposit of Byblos. Another spear, of similar form, presents a decoration of vertical lines on the stem. It was found in the tomb of the Lord of the Caprids at Ebla, making it the most recent in the series (around 1750 B.C.).

Comprising: two leaf-shaped with raised midribs; one triangular with barbs; one triangular with short socket. 18 grams total, 34-52 mm



From an old UK collection, acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Shropshire private collector.