Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0331
Viking Iron Sword with Bronze Hilt of Petersen Type L
11TH-13TH CENTURY A.D.
32 in. (689 grams, 81.5 cm).
A 'Curonian' sword comprising a straight blade with a narrow and long tang, showing signs of employment on the edges; boat-shaped bronze cross guard with Jellinge style decoration of circles and crosses; rivetted seven-lobed pommel with an upper guard showing similar ornament. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12618-235588.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. Kazakevičius, Балтские мечи IX-XIII вв. (Baltic Swords, 9th-13th century AD), Vilnius, 1996; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; Tomsons, A., ‘Symbolism of Medieval Swords from the territory of Latvia during the 11th-13th centuries’ in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Archaeologica 29, Łódź, 2012, pp.145-161.
Footnotes
The sword, with its seven-lobed pommel and its guards finds good parallels with Baltic swords used by Prussian, Curonians, Estonian and Lithuanian pagan warriors; 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.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0331
Viking Iron Sword with Bronze Hilt of Petersen Type L
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
RELATED LOTS
-
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Piriform in profile with narrow point, deep shoulder and domed mouth; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 125 grams, 79 mm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Parthian Bronze Macehead with Ibex
1st-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Tubular in form with ornamental features of a kneeling ibex with a rope coiling around the stem. 1.02 kg, 20 cm
Acquired before 1983. Ex London gallery, 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12725-236258. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Luristan Bronze Long Arrowhead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Triangular blade with raised midrib extending to the short socket with rectangular-section tang. 32 grams, 13 cm
From the private collection of John Fox, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK, antiquarian and archaeologist; his collection assembled in the 1950s-1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.