Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1000 BCE. An exceptional set of seven Near Eastern ancient hammered bronze dagger blades of tanged design. They are extremely unusual in that they were made from hammered sheet bronze (rather than cast), indicating a votive or ceremonial purpose. Many ancient cultures used to bury weapons or offer weapons to the gods in return for safety in warfare or a blessing. Rarely do you find patinas like this from the Near East with such heavy blue azurite mineral encrustation mixed in with such a rich malachite green mineralized patina. There is even one blade that has sparkling cuprite crystals scattered on exposed metal surfaces. Sizes and blade styles are varied and represent a variety of votive purposes but metal composition, alloy, manufacturing style and patinas demonstrate a single source of ancient fabrication and burial. Size of largest: 10.2" H (25.9 cm)

Provenance: acquired from a US collector in 2003

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#134593

  • Condition: Intact and complete, with no repair. All have been stabilized and sealed. Gorgeous patina!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

June 7, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000