Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1100 to 600 BCE. A striking iron sword presenting a flat, petaloid blade with a thick, raised fuller and topped by an elaborate hilt comprised of a rain guard of two crouching lions, a tiered grip, and an intricate pommel displaying two anthropomorphic visages. Capped by elaborate headdresses, both fascinating faces display lengthy beards, prominent noses, circular cheeks, recessed eyes, and a protruding brow. Remarkably, the point of the sword is still covered by a piece of its leather sheath, which is capped by a pointed finial. Though Luristan is famous for its bronze work, its blacksmiths produced some of the oldest known decorated tools and weaponry in the world. This piece may have been modeled upon the bronze work; hence the incredibly-shaped handle here. As iron is a much less tractable metal to work with compared to bronze, 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. Size: 22.25" L x 3.5" W (56.5 cm x 8.9 cm); Size of blade: 17.25" L (43.8 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 Zaveloff collection, Lakewood, New Jersey, USA, acquired in 2002; ex-Venus Gallery, Israel; ex-private Portuguese collection; ex-Axel Guttmann collection, Berlin, Germany

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#161553

Tip of scabbard attached to blade tip and cannot be removed. Some light abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent and intact with rich russet patina and mineral deposits.