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Late Bronze Age Sword
$75,000
£56,868.88
€65,682.90
CA$105,229.58
A$117,223.40
CHF 61,833.50
MX$1,421,370
NOK 786,611.25
SEK 732,778.20
DKK 490,479.75
About the Item
Saint Nazaire Sword, Late Bronze Age, circa 800-900 B.C.
An exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age sword, with elegant, finely incised decorations, near perfect form and a wonderful, golden patina. Subtly leaf shaped and tapering to a fine point, this handsome bronze weapon is characteristic of an Atlantic sword of the Saint-Nazaire type. It has a tripartite flanged hilt, with straight horns and seven piercings for rivets to fasten a handle, five of which are still present. Five finely incised lines run from the notched ricasso along and around the raised midrib. The Saint-Nazaire type represents a transitional phase between the leaf-shaped and the so-called carp’s tongue swords of the Atlantic coastal areas of France in the Late Bronze Age.
This sword was most likely recovered from the bed of the River Saône, near Lyon, France, as suggested by the inscription “Saône-Près-Lyon” on the side of the hilt. The recovery of swords in rivers is a strong reminder of their past spiritual significance; the cult of the waters was particularly prominent during the Bronze Age, and it is highly probable that the present sword was deposited as a ritual offering to the river in which it was recovered, millennia later. The River Saône in particular is a very rich ground for the discovery of Bronze Age artefacts, and notably of Late Bronze Age swords. The retrieval of several Atlantic swords in the Saône, such as the present example, illustrates the numerous contacts and exchanges which must have taken place between the Atlantic and Continental cultural complexes at the time.
The development of bronze smithing in Europe coincided with the emergence of a new warrior elite, known to us from their elaborate burials, presiding over a network of competing chiefdoms. These masterfully crafted swords served to demonstrate their rank, and illustrate to us that this was a profoundly warlike culture, in which combat ability was highly prized. Indeed, recent studies, investigating the use-wear on weapons such as this, and what this can tell us about how those who wielded them fought, seem to suggest that Bronze Age swordsmanship was a carefully studied discipline, and that warriors of the period were a dedicated and highly trained class within their contemporary society.
“The weapons of the bronze age, the beauty of which arrests the attention of the most careless observer . stamps the ancient bronze workers not only as skilled mechanics, but as art work- men.”
Robert Day, Ulster journal of Archeology (1895)
Length: 71 cm (28 inches).
Provenance:
Recovered from the River Saône, near Lyon [according to a handwritten inscription on the hilt].
Collection of Monsieur F. B. (1950-2009), Normandy, France.
Subsequently French art market 2021 and exported under French Cultural Property Passport 233626.
- Dimensions:Height: 27.96 in (71 cm)Diameter: 2.37 in (6 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:800 - 900 BC
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 429541stDibs: LU1052234448392
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