Circa 10th-11th century A.D. With pattern-welded double-edged blade, showing well-defined shallow fullers and wide cutting edges, the fullers occupying not less than one third of the entire width and running to a point about 19 cm from the tip; massive, simply decorated hilt; the pommel, as well as the cross-guard, with visible zig-zag patterns; the pommel of solid tea-cosy type, divided into two sections by a well marked groove, the bottom being the larger, the curved top portion of the pommel further divided into three lobes; traces of inlay visible on the pommel and on the cross-guard. See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingesverd, Oslo, 1919; Oakeshott, R.E., The Archaeology of the weapons, London,1960; Jakobsson, Krigarideologi och vikingatida svardstypologi, Stockholm, 1992; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; this sword finds good parallels in various similar Viking age specimens. A very similar sword can be found in the Musée de l'Armée, Paris (inv. no. JPO 2253, s. Peirce, 2002, pp.118-119); another has been sold at Christie's London, Antique Arms and Armour, 16 December 2002, lot 46; another similar specimen can be seen at the Museum of Cluny. 1.25 kg, 94cm (37 in.).

Acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. From the property of a Suffolk collector.

The blade and handle are very well preserved, probably coming from a grave, but we cannot exclude a river find or a battlefield. The fact that the cross and pommel are decorated confirms that it belonged to an elite warrior. The blade shows in its central section, and on both cutting edges, the blodi?a style pattern-welding through the central portion of the blade (Oakeshott, 1960, fig.70). The fine pattern-welded blade patterns of Viking swords are the blodi?a (Blood-Eddy) and 'ann' (rows of mown hay) known from Norse poetry. [No Reserve]