Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBScythian Iron Short Sword / Dagger - Acinaces
Lot 107
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
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,000 - $3,000
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 27, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-02-27 10:00:00
2020-02-27 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Antiquities & Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-antiquities-ethnographic-art-4920
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (436)
- Lot Description
Central Asia, Scytho-Siberian, ca. 5th century BCE. A gorgeous, rare, iron dagger with a long, thin blade and a guard and hilt with abstract zoomorphic decorations. The guard/hilt would have been made separately from the blade and then cast together. The guard and top of hilt are also iron, but were cast onto the iron of blade and handle. The top of the hilt is a simple, elongated ovoid piece of iron. Size: 1.95" W x 16.45" H (5 cm x 41.8 cm)
The acinaces is usually 14 to 18 inches long, like this one, and is most famously associated with the Persians, who also give us the word for this type of dagger; however, like many things from the 1st millennium BCE, we associate it with the Persians because Classical authors noted its use (and the word continued to be used into the medieval period by authors in Latin to describe any weapon used by the Persians, including the scimitar). In reality, the acinaces, whatever it was called by the local population, was used throughout a vast swath of territory encompassing the eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and central Asia, by such diverse cultures as the Persians, the Parthians, the Medes, the Greeks, and the Scythians.
This particular example is from Siberia, where the people we know as the Scythians or Scytho-Siberians left behind amazing tombs full of precious metalwork. A dagger very similar but with gold plating on the guard and center of blade has been found in the royal necropolis in Tuva, in southern Siberia. As shown in artwork from the period, the Scythians wore them hanging from a belt; in Kazakhstan they wore them strapped to the leg. Although horse warfare is what the Scythians are famous for, their weapons and saddles, lacking hard stirrups, seem better suited to dismounting and melee fighting; the acinaces would have been a primary weapon in that kind of situation.
Provenance: private Tennessee, USA collection, purchased at Karabela Auctions, Vienna, Austria, 2017
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.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#150414Professionally stabilized with a light coating over the surface to prevent corrosion. Dark, mottled iron patina on surface. Possible repair near the lower end of the blade, but if so, it is very well done. A few small chips and nicks from edges. Motifs on guard/hilt are visible and the overall form is well preserved.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
-
- Buyer's Premium
