Description:

Khmer Empire, modern day Cambodia, ca. 800 to 1430 CE. This is a short form of Khmer sword, known as a p'keak or phka’k, which is a curved handled weapon with an iron blade. They may have been used for clearing the dense forests of northern Cambodia as well as for fighting. This particular sword has a beautiful bronze handle with a simple two-dimensional cloud-shaped guard and a pointed, coiled handle tip. From the Angkor period onward (after 800 CE), it seems likely that southeast Asia underwent a great deal of conflict; inscriptions, reliefs, weapons deposited as grave goods, and, most recently, bioarchaeology all attest to a history of fighting and war. This sword is almost certainly related to that history. For example, excavations at the cemetery at Phum Snay have uncovered a wide range of weapons in many graves; while most were male, some belonged to females. Unfortunately, we currently have only fragmentary evidence for warfare and sword manufacture in the Khmer Empire because of the ravages of the Khmer Rouge on records of Cambodia’s history. Size: 18.25" L x 2.25" W (46.4 cm x 5.7 cm)

Provenance: Ex- John Piscopo Collection, San Diego, CA

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#112025

  • Condition: Corrosion and wear to the blade, but shape is still clear. The bronze handle has wear and patina but its shape is also still clear.

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April 20, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$2,000 $4,999 $250
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$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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