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A Rare Viking Sword Of Oakeshott Type XII (2) image 1
A Rare Viking Sword Of Oakeshott Type XII (2) image 2
Lot 103

A Rare Viking Sword Of Oakeshott Type XII
10th/11th Century

11 May 2016, 13:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £11,250 inc. premium

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A Rare Viking Sword Of Oakeshott Type XII
10th/11th Century

In excavated condition, with broad double-edged blade tapering towards the point and incised with close-set chevrons within the medial fuller over most of its length on each side and possibly intended to simulate the 'ann' configuration of pattern welding, hilt retaining much of its overlaid hatched silver decoration in Urnes style and comprising boat-shaped guard of slightly arched ovoidal section, grip of slightly tapering circular section with shallow medial band, and two-piece pommel of trilobate form (2)
78.5 cm. blade, 92.5 cm. overall

Footnotes

This sword appear to be related to a group of seventeen whole or incomplete examples of the type known to have been found in Finland in eleventh century graves. For a related example found in a cemetery before 1870 and now in the Suomen Kansallismuse, Helsinki (inv. no. NM1174:1), see Ian Peirce, Swords of the Viking Age, 2002, pp. 138-139

See also Jorma Leppäaho, Späteisenzeitliche Waffen aus Finnland: Schwertinschriften und Waffenverzierungen des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts, 1964, pp. 70-75

Offered with a letter of expertise addressed to Peter Finer from Ian Peirce and dated 11 March 2003

Additional information

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