AUCTIONS IMPERIAL ARMS & ARMOR NOVEMBER 2023
Lot 149:
Description
Excavated, possibly a unique example. Displaying characteristics in common with only a single other sword described as Avar-Slavic and dated to the mid-10th century (see below.) The broad, single-edged blade of moderate length and wedge-section, thick, with very slight curvature occurring close to the radiused tip, with short yelman, or back edge. The flat tang oriented slightly toward the cutting edge and tapering toward the cylindrical steel pommel, retains a central rivet which originally held the grip or grips. The guard of rounded rectangular section, relatively deep and square at either end, with quillons oriented toward the blade and tapering continuously, terminating in flattened disks. The right forte of the blade incised with the Kayi tugra, sigil of the Ottomans and typically inscribed on captured weapons stored in the St. Irene Arsenal in Istanbul. 12th – 13th century(?) Cleaned, excavated condition, pitted overall, pommel uncleaned and possibly associated. Overall length 78.3cm. The example noted above in the Ruse Regional Museum of History, Ruse, Bulgaria, is referred to as “Avar-Slavic” by Aboyanov & Velikova in their 2019 paper (See D. R. Aboyanov & S. Velikova, Medieval Sword from the Collections of the Rousse Regional Museum of History in ARMI ANTICHE Bollettino dell Accademia di San Marciano- Torino 2019, p. 5. Line drawing reproduced in the above article and cited, A. Kiss, Fruhmittelalterliche Byzantinische Schwerterim Karpaten-becken, in Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, XXXIX, 1987, pp. 193–210.) It bears many similarities with this sword, notably its dimensions, blade form, and particularly, the form of its guard. Ex-Egil Haggmann Collection, N.Y. 1974. Overall length 78.3cm/ 30.8”. Condition V
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