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LOT 0333
Viking Iron 'ULFBERH+T' Silver and Laten Inlaid Sword
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
38 1/2 in. (1.1 kg, 98 cm).
A double-edged Petersen Type X sword, tapering blade with shallow fullers and wide cutting edges, the fuller bearing an inlaid inscription of 'ULFBERH+T' to one side and remains of 'II IXI' (or an interlace pattern) to the other side; the lower and upper-guards, as well as the pommel inlaid with vertical lines of silver and copper, the pommel of tea-cosy type divided into section with well-marked lines. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.
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. 12617-235587.
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.
Cf. Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Oakeshott, R.E., The Archaeology of the weapons, London, 1960; Jakobsson, M., Krigarideologi och vikingatida svardstypologi, Stockholm, 1992; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; the sword finds good parallels in various similar Viking age specimens, a similar sword is in the Musée de l'Armée, Paris (inv. no. JPO 2253, s. Peirce, 2002, pp. 118-119); for the inscriptions see Peirce, 2002, pl.III, lett.2bc.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0333
Viking Iron 'ULFBERH+T' Silver and Laten Inlaid Sword
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
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Hellenistic Rhodian Lead Slingshot with Scorpion
3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £598
Lentoid-section and depicting a stylised scorpion to one side, a type sometimes known to have the Rhodian legend ΚΑΛΑ to verso. 29.6 grams, 29 mm
From a Manchester, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Together with the Balearic slingers, Rhodian slingers were considered to be the best of the Hellenistic world, and they were also used in the Roman army. The slingshots with an image of a scorpion on one side and with an inscription ΚΑΛΑ on the other are believed to originate from the Island of Rhodes. On these sling bullets ΚΑΛΑ should be translated as “nice things.” Of course, ironically, these “nice things” were designed to kill enemies and to sting like a scorpion, and the message of those with the image of a scorpion could be understood, as proposed by M. Manov and N. Torbov, as: “nice things sting like a scorpion.” -
Luristan Bronze Short Sword with Blood Channels
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,750
Triangular blade with raised midrib flanked by shallow grooves extending from the integral lower-guard to the tip; the lower guard with raised coffee bean-shaped bosses to both sides; grooved handle with raised ribs and a large openwork crescentic pommel bearing a similar decoration to the blade at the top; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 1.31 kg total, sword: 47 cm long
Ex Rabi Gallery, London, UK, 1980s. From a private Surrey, UK, collection. 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.12606-234422. 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.
The now empty cavities of the handle were once filled with organic material. -
Viking Period Iron Sword Brazil Nut Pommel and Cross Guard
11th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £572
Comprising: pommel scaphoid in plan with biconvex profile, slot to underside to accept the tang (no corresponding hole at the top); lower guard rectangular in section with broad slot to lower face, rounded ends; Oakeshott type B / Geibig type 14 and 18. 330 grams total, 6.5-18.3 cm
From the private family collection of a lady, UK; acquired in Germany mid 20th century. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
