Description:

Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey, Amlash, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE. A short sword of hefty form forged from bronze with a spool-form pommel attached beneath a cylindrical hilt. Fine linear motifs are incised onto the hilt and course up onto the fused hand guard and shoulder. The lengthy blade bears sharpened edges, a pronounced midrib, and a pointed tip with tapered edges. Thick layers of green and brown patina have formed across the armament and imbue it with a sophisticated presentation. Size: 26.125" L x 2.3" W (66.4 cm x 5.8 cm)

Amlash weapons were buried with the dead in large megalithic tombs, built by part of the Marlik culture. Despite its proximity to large Mesopotamian cultures, the geographical barrier of the high Zagros and Elburz Mountains kept this culture relatively isolated, and it developed a unique tradition. This is an elegant example of a grave good that, based on how few graves have been found in the Amlash assemblage and the impressive size of their tombs, seems to have been reserved only for high status individuals.

Provenance: Private San Diego, California, USA collection; ex-Piscopo Estate

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#173951

  • Condition: Blade reinserted into pommel with earthen material around area of separation; pommel and blade are perhaps not original to one another. Abrasions and fading to finer details, with slight bending to blade profile, and nicks to blade and midrib. Nice patina and earthen deposits throughout.

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August 25, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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