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THBRare Luristan Iron Sword w/ Elaborate Handle
Lot 92f
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,500 - $2,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jun 20, 2018
Set Reminder
2018-06-20 10:00:00
2018-06-20 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : DAY 1 | Antiquities, Asian, Russian, Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/day-1-antiquities-asian-russian-fine-art-3276
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional art from around the world Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional art from around the world Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (257)
- Lot Description
Ancient Near East, Luristan, ca. 1100 BCE. A long iron sword with a flat, triangular blade, topped by an elaborate handle - a thick guard and flat hilt with what looks like an abstract mask form on its side. Luristan is famous for its bronzework, but its blacksmiths produced some of the oldest known decorated tools and weaponry in the world. This piece may have been in imitation of the bronzework; hence the incredibly-shaped handle here. This is remarkable because iron is a much less tractable metal to work with compared to bronze, and items like this sword had to be laboriously made from many separate pieces of low-carbon iron. Very few of these iron swords are known to exist. One was found with the lower part of a scabbard; another was inlaid with carnelian. Some of the leather in the scabbards was radiocarbon dated to ca. 1100 BCE, hence the date given here for this sword. Size: 3.4" W x 21.6" H (8.6 cm x 54.9 cm)
It seems that these pieces were made not to be used in battle, but instead to show status or as votive weapons; there is a strong tradition in the ancient Near East of swords and other weapons being associated with the gods. For example, there is a rock carving dating to ca. 1300 BCE from this region that shows a scene of the gods of the Underworld, including one who is holding a sword similar to this one. Similarly, a golden bowl excavated at Hasanlu shows three swords of similar form to this one that are associated with three deities from the Hittite pantheon.
Provenance: private New York, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#134574Blade has been reattached to handle with modern iron. Otherwise in nice condition for an iron object of its age, with an oxidized patina and good preservation of form, despite some losses along the blade edge and hilt.Condition
- Shipping Info
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