Near Eastern and nomadic bronze and iron arms of Eurasia, 1 Millennium B.C. and other artifacts of antiquity and medieval times.

1273 SCYTHIAN IRON SHORT SWORD (AKINAKES)
end of VII-VI century B.C.
Iron blade and hilt were forged as one piece. Kidney guard and flat oval pommel are separately made. Long blade with midrib and straight edges. Rectangular flat grip with rectangular cross-section. One side of the grip is ornamented with recessed chevron lines along longitudinal axis. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 15.4" (39 cm).
See: Shramko B.A. Iz istorii scyfskogo vooruzheniya//Vooruzheniye scifov i sarmatov, 1984, p. 32.
$ 900

1270 SCYTHIAN IRON DAGGER
end of VI-beginning of V century B.C.
Iron blade and hilt were forged as one piece. Butterfly guard and bar-shaped pommel are separately made. Wide short blade with midrib and slightly convex edges. Trapezium shape flat grip, rectangular in cross-section with slightly raised longer sides. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 11" (28 cm).
See: Maksimov E. K., Polesskih M. R. Zametki ob akinakah, Soviet Archaeology, vol. 2, 1971, p. 231, fig. 1, 3; Kulatova I.M. Kindzhal rannyoscyfskogo chasu z Sumshini/ Pitannya archaeologii Sumshini, Sumi, 1990, p.49, 50, fig. V; Aechaeologicheskiy almanakh, vol.1, 1993, Donetsk, pg. 181, fig. 54.
$ 650

1271 SCYTHIAN IRON DAGGER
VI-V century B.C.
Iron blade and hilt were forged as one piece. Butterfly guard and bar-shaped pommel are separately made. Long blade with midrib and straight edges. Rectangular flat grip with rectangular cross-section. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 11.4" (29 cm).
See: Melyukova A.I. Vooruzheniye skifov, 1964, SAI, vol. D1-4, p.53, tbl.18,4; Evdokimov, Murzin, Ranneskifskoye pogrebeniye s oruzhiyem iz Hersonskoy oblasti//Vooruzheniye scifov i sarmatov, 1984, p. 79 fig.4; Aechaeologicheskiy almanakh, vol.1, 1993, Donetsk, pg. 184, fig. 56; Kosikov V.A., Pavlik A.A. Scyfskiye mechi iz kollektsii L'vovskogo Istoricheskogo muzeya, 1992, Donetskiy archaeologicheskiy sbornik, vol.2, p.113, fig.1,1.
$ 450

1272 SCYTHIAN IRON DAGGER
VI century B.C.
Iron blade and hilt were forged as one piece. Butterfly guard and bar-shaped pommel are separately made. Long blade with midrib. Rectangular flat grip. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 12" (30.3 cm).
See: Evdokimov, Murzin, Ranneskifskoye pogrebeniye s oruzhiyem iz Hersonskoy oblasti//Vooruzheniye scifov i sarmatov, 1984, p. 79 fig.4.
$ 350

1269 SCYTHIAN IRON DAGGER
VI century B.C.
Iron blade and hilt were forged as one piece. Butterfly guard with straight shoulder and bar-shaped pommel are separately made. Wide short blade with midrib and slightly convex edges. Trapezium shape flat grip, rectangular in cross-section. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 10.4" (26.3 cm).
See: Evdokimov, Murzin, Ranneskifskoye pogrebeniye s oruzhiyem iz Hersonskoy oblasti//Vooruzheniye scifov i sarmatov, 1984, p. 79 fig.4
$ 475

245 SCYTHIAN IRON DAGGER
VI-V century B.C.
Two-edged dagger is constructed of separated pieces of iron, representing a complex process of manufacture. Butterfly guard and pommel are made from two iron plates. Pommel is in the form of opposed stylized griffin-heads (often called "antenna"-shaped). Intact. L. 14.5" (36.8 cm).
SOLD

423   BRONZE DAGGER,
         XII-XI century B.C.
         Central Asia
Flattened hilt and blade were cast in one piece. Grip terminates in ring pommel and has a slit with three bridges across one side, the opposite side is smooth with two round perforations. Intact.
L. 10.2" (25.9 cm)
See: E.C.Bunker, J.F. So. Traders and Raiders on China's Northern Frontier. Smithsonian Institution, 1995, fig. 15, cat.14; Davis-Kimbal J. Nomads of the Eurasian steppes in the Early Iron Age, Zinat Press, CA, 1995, pg. 322, fig. 1.
$ 1250

945 IRON DAGGER
VI-V century B.C.
Double-edged blade with rhomboidal cross-section. Grip with rectangular cross-section terminates in rounded pommel. Polygon -shaped guard with rectangular cross-section, slightly concave from blade side.
L. 10.2" (25.9 cm).
$ 600

244 SCYTHIAN GOLD AND IRON GUARD
V century B.C.
A typical butterfly iron guard decorated with two opposed stylized griffin-head gold plaques. Each plaque has two holes for attachment with bronze pins or rivets, indicated by remains of copper oxidation products.
W. 3" (7.6 cm), L. 1.7" (4.3 cm).
$ 850

939 URARTIAN BRONZE AND IRON SWORD
VII century B.C.
Construction of the entire sword including grip is iron. Hilt decorated from both sides with cast bronze plaques: termination is a wolf's head in profile. Round eyes, ears, nostrils and fur indicated by engraved lines. Guard is framed by opposed griffin heads with sharply curved beaks and bronze rivets for eyes. Between the plaques on both sides, there is bone inlay, decorated with through rivets of different diameter and design. Otherwise, the bone is decorated with engraved concentric circles. The larger portion of the blade has not survived. L. 7. 9"(20 cm).
$ 5000

967 BRONZE CHAPE
VII century B.C.
Cast bronze. Three-dimensional openwork chape formed by two convex surfaces of crouching feline figures. Figures are connected along the spine, ears and paws. Eyes, mouth and tail indicated by indented lines.
L. 2.9" (7.3 cm).
See: E. Reeder. Scythian Gold. Harry N. Abrams inc., N.Y., 1999, cat. # 8, 249.
$ 2000

966 BRONZE CHAPE
VI-V century B.C.
Cast bronze. Chape with rectangular cross-section and an opening through in the center. Face side depicting two mirror images of elk's head in profile. Details of the face and ear are indicated by grooves; large eye rimmed by a raised ring; the jaw curves up in a volute. The reverse is undecorated. Mended, missing fragment (ancient loss). L. 2.6" (6.5 cm).
See: The Golden Deer of Eurasia. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University Press, 2000, cat. 155.
$ 1000

1287 IRON SPEAR-HEAD
VI-V century B.C.
Slightly conical socket with reinforced ring at the base. Elongated leaf-shaped blade with pronounced central nervure. Part of the grain of the wooden shaft is preserved by the corrosion products inside. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 14.7" (37.3 cm).
See: Melyukova A.I. Vooruzheniye skyfov. Moscow, 1964, tbl.12; Kovpanenko G.T. Pamyatniki skifskoy apohi Dneprovskogo lesostepnogo pravoberezh'ya. Kiiv,1989, p. 91, fig. 25 #2.
$ 400

1284 IRON SPEAR-HEAD
VI-V century B.C.
Slightly conical socket with reinforced ring at the base. Elongated leaf-shaped blade, lenticular in section. Part of the grain of the wooden shaft is preserved by the corrosion products inside. Intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 14.3" (36.3 cm).
See: Melyukova A.I. Vooruzheniye skyfov. Moscow, 1964, tbl.13.
$ 400

1295 IRON SPEAR-HEAD
VI-V century B.C.
Conical socket. Leaf-shaped blade with pronounced central nervure. Part of the grain of the wooden shaft is preserved by the corrosion products inside. Small fragment at the base missing, otherwise intact, surface covered with resoluble acrylic film.
L. 16.5" (42 cm).
See: Melyukova A.I. Vooruzheniye skyfov. Moscow, 1964, tbl.12.
$ 400

1300 IRON AXE-HEAD
VII-VI century B.C.
Iron axe head with oval shaft-hole. Massive pyramidal flared butt with square cross section. Asymmetrical blade splayed out towards the convex cutting edge eased to the sides with transitional curve.
L. 8.6" (21.8 cm).
See: Davis-Kimbal J. Nomads of the Eurasian steppes in the Early Iron Age, Zinat Press, CA, 1995, pg. 18, fig. 20; Melyukova A.I. Vooruzheniye skyfov. Moscow, 1964, tbl.21.
$ 650

255   BRONZE MACE OR SCEPTER
         LURISTAN
         VIII-VII c. B.C.
Cast in one piece cylinder with pyramidal spikes, rhomboidal in cross section, through hole of a conical shape. Finial of this type must be mounted on poles, which have not survived. At the top, in the shallow groove under the collar, there is a hole, perpendicular to the axis, with remains of a pin for attachment to the pole.
D. 1.6"(4 cm), H. 1.6"(4 cm).
See: Calmeyer P. Datierbare Bronzen aus Luristan und Kirmanshah, in Untersuchungen zur Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie 5, 1969, pg119; L. Vanden Berghe, Les tombes de l'age du fer au Luristan. La necropole deDjub-i Gauhar, in: Archeologia 138, 1980. pg. 32ff; Mit Hieb und Stich. Bronzewaffen aus dem alten Iran. Die Sammlung von Grawert. Frakfurt am Main, 2001. pg. 65.
$ 1250

961 BRONZE SCABBARD ORNAMENT
VII-V century B.C.
Cast bronze. Rectangular plate terminated with stylized griffin head with long, wound beak. Rivet, used for attachment to scabbard, serves as an eye. The rectangular plate engraved with line of "x", flanked by rows of hatched lines. L. 2.2" (5.6 cm).
Most likely, the plate was symmetrical, with a head in right profile at the opposite end.
SOLD

422   BRONZE KNIFE,
         XII-XI century B.C.
         Central Asia
The handle and blade were cast in one piece forming a curve. Handle decorated with beaded borders along the edges and terminated by ring pommel with three knobs. L. 8.9"(22.5 cm).
See: Davis-Kimbal J. Nomads of the Eurasian steppes in the Early Iron Age, Zinat Press, CA, 1995, pg. 322, fig. 1.
$ 950

932 BRONZE KNIFE,
IX-VIII century B.C.
Cast. Single-edged knife with triangular cross-section, rectangular handle and hooked tip. Triangular opening for suspension. L. 6.8" (17.3 cm).
See: Davis-Kimbal J. Nomads of the Eurasian steppes in the Early Iron Age, Zinat Press, CA, 1995, pg. 306, fig. 6.
$ 425

247 SCYTHIAN BOAR TUSK BOW TIP
V century B.C.
The wide end of the tusk has been carved to represent the head of canine in right profile. Its open jaws exposing the animal’s teeth and fangs, ears pressed flat against wavy, long hair on his neck, round eye with underlined lid. L. 2.2 (5.7 cm ).
Christie's NY, Antiquities, 12/07/2000, lot # 712.
For similar bow tips see: E. Reeder. Scythian Gold. Harry N. Abrams inc., N.Y., 1999, cat. # 34-35; for similar iconography see cat. # 12, 49.
$ 2500

248 SCYTHIAN BONE HANDLE
IV century B.C.
Oval cross-section polished bone with carved head of a calf at the terminal. On the opposite end there are shallow grooves perpendicular to the axis and a longitudinal slot for salient iron blade. Products of iron corrosion inside the bone, longitudinal crack on each side. L. 4'' (10.2 cm).
SOLD