Migration Period Iron Sword with Garnet Cross Guard and Scabbard Fittings
5th-6th century A.D. With a double-edged parallel-sided blade with broad pointed tip; the lower guard inlaid with garnet cloisonné divided into four segments; accompanied by a rectangular scabbard slide inlaid with two rows of garnets and other stone; and a part of a sheet-silver chape. See Behmer, E., Das zweischneidige Schwert der germanischen Völkerwanderungszeit, Stockholm, 1939; Lebedinsky, I., Armes et guerriers barbares au temps des grandes invasions, Paris, 2001; Lebedinsky, I., De l’epée scythe au sabre mongol, Paris, 2008, pp.114ff.
903 grams, 91 cm (35 7/8 in.).
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11819-206855. The sword belongs to the group of blades with wide guard coming from Eastern Europe, in particular from the regions of the Black Sea. The most striking examples are the sword of Dmytrivka (region of Zaporjjia), from a Hunnic grave, having the guard and its extending reinforcement collar inlaid with precious stones; the sword of Lermontovskaia (North of Caucasus), from the grave of an Alan warrior (5th century A.D.), having the guard inlaid with coloured glass; the Pokrovsk-Voskhod swords (Region of Saratovo, on the Volga), from a Nomad grave of 5th century A.D., with garnet cloisonné on gold background (Lebedinsky, 2001,pp.121ff.).