BRONZE AGE SWORD WITH DECORATED HILT

Ca. 1300 - 1000 BC. A cast bronze sword with a broad, double-edged blade tapering towards a rounded point and strengthened by a low median ridge. The shoulders rise into a rounded hilt furnished with applied bosses and a recessed ornamental field. Its tubular grip is enriched with incised zigzag and interlocking geometric bands and terminates in a domed cap pommel. The combination of a decorated tubular hilt, bossed shoulders, and elongated blade is characteristic of elite weapon production around the South Caspian during the closing centuries of the second millennium BC. The surface preserves dark-green and blue-green patination. Size: 320mm x 65mm; Weight: 455g Provenance: From a private London collection; Leopold Tamm collection, Austria. Acquired from Austrian art gallery in 1960s. Belgian private collection, 1980s-2000s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.

Estimate:£1,000

View all items fromApollo Art AuctionsorMedals, Arms & Armour