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A Rare Sword Of Viking Type With Ulfberht Inscription

This lot has been removed from the website, please contact customer services for more information

Lot 54
A Rare Sword Of Viking Type With Ulfberht Inscription
Mid-10th To Mid-11th Century

Sold for £ 10,625 (US$ 13,273) inc. premium

Antique Arms and Armour including items from the E.A. Christensen Collection

28 Nov 2012, 11:00 GMT

London, Knightsbridge

A Rare Sword Of Viking Type With Ulfberht Inscription
Mid-10th To Mid-11th Century
In excavated condition, with tapering double-edged blade with shallow central fuller over most of its length on both sides, the forte on both sides cut with the inscription '+ULFBERH+T' (more legible on one side than on the other), hilt comprising flat slightly arched quillons tapering towards the tips, flat tapering tang, and pommel of tea-cosy form
81.5 cm. blade, 96.5 cm. overall

Footnotes

  • Provenance:
    Found in the River Meuse in Belgium or France
    Acquired from Robert-Jean Charles, Paris, July 1949

    Literature:
    Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer, Middelalderens tveæggede Sværd, 1954, vol. I, pp. 34, 111 and 186, and vol. II, pp. 7 and 93, pl. 4e
    Hoffmeyer, cat. no. 33, pp. 35, 68 and 71, figs. 7 and 14

    Petersen's type X. For a related sword see Ian Peirce, Swords Of The Vikings Age, 2002, pp. 124-125

    Viking swords with Ulfberht inscriptions have been found across Europe, Scandinavia, Britain and Russia. It is thought that the name is either that of a long-lived family manufactory or a group of closely associated workshops, the possible origin being Frankland, in the area of modern Solingen. One hundred and twenty-two examples were identified by Alfred Geibig in his highly detailed survey published in 1991

    For a synopsis of Geibig's work and a further analytical study of the subject see Michael R. Gorman, 'Ulfbreht: Innovation and Imitation in Early Medieval Swords', The sixteenth Park Lane Arms Fair Guide, February 1999, pp. 7-12
Contacts
  1. David Williams
    Specialist - Arms and Armour
    Bonhams
    Work
    Montpelier Street
    London, United Kingdom SW7 1HH
    Work +44 20 7393 3807
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For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:

Buyer's Premium Rates
27.5% on the first £20,000 of the hammer price;
26% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £20,000 up to and including £700,000;
20% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £700,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.

VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.

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