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Luristan bronze dagger with crescent decoration

Price: on request
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Object number
AR2890D
Object: Luristan bronze dagger with crescent decoration

Material: Bronze.

Period: 1100 BC to 900 BC.
Iron Age I.

Description:    Luristan bronze dagger. Handle with raised rim for insertion of grips. The grip tapers gradually from the pommel. Long, slim blade, tapering to the front. A decorative crescent shape is on both sides between the grip and the blade.

Background: Initially, riveted blades were used for daggers in Luristan. The 14th century BC saw daggers with handle which were made from a single piece of bronze. The edge surrounding the handle contained an insert, often consisting of bone, wood or metal. The raised rim daggers were otherwise simply designed and generally did not have elaborate decorations, as are known from axe heads of the same period. In the 10th century BC the full bronze daggers were replaced by iron weapons.

Dimensions: 30,8cm long, 4,2cm wide.

Condition: Very good condition. Only minor chips, otherwise fully intact, apart from the original grip insert that is usually missing for these type of daggers. The bronze is covered by a nice green patina.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2019 from a Munich based auction house. Previously in a French private collection built in the 1960ies.

References: Cf. G. Zahlhaas, Luristan, Antike Bronzen aus dem Iran, page 33, cat. 43.
Cf. M. J. Sanchez Beltran, Catalogo de los bronces de Luristan en el museo arqueologico nacional, plate III, no. 10.

Literature: St John Simpson and Susan La Niece, New light on old swords from Iran. The British Museum Technical Research Bulletin, Volume 4 (2010).
Moorey, Ancient Bronzes from Luristan (BM, 1974), pages 23f.
Bonnet, Die Waffen der Völker des Alten Orients, pages 42ff.

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.