Scythian short sword
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Object number
AR3192
| Object: |
Scythian short sword, so-called Acinaces
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| Material: |
Iron.
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| Period: |
700 BC to 450 BC. Early Iron Age, the period that saw the emergence of the nomadic population of Central Asia. The era is also referred to as Scythian period. |
| Description: |
Short sword or dagger with a double-edged, straight blade that tapers to a pointy end. The military weapon could thus be used for blows and stabs alike. The weapon can be identified as an early type wielded by Scythian peoples. Characteristic is the bollocks shaped guard, which we would today rather describe as heart-shaped. In the centuries that followed, this type of weapon spread further and was used until well into classical antiquity. The name given to this type of short sword or dagger by the Romans is acinaces, or akinakes or akinaka in other spellings. |
| Dimensions: |
28.5cm long.
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| Condition: |
Severe corrosion usual for ancient iron. Body fully intact with danger of layers of iron peeling off. Overall very good condition.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2021 in the German art trade. Previously in the Viennese private collection S. M. Exported in 2020 with an export permit from the Austrian Federal Monuments Office (BDA). Acquired into the collection in 1985 from the Viennese art dealer Huettel.
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| References: |
Cf. D. Topai "Scythian Akinakai Between Carpathians and Dniester. The Structure of a Storm", fig. 6 and 7. Cf. an Acinaces in the museum of Prokhorovskoe Pole, Russia. Cf. J. Eisenberg, Art of the Ancient World, vol. XXIV, no. 230. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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