Ancient Near East, Luristan, ca. 1100 BCE. A long iron sword with a triangular blade marked by a broad, flat midrib and an elaborate handle - disc-shaped flat pommels with an overhanging top pommel. The grip is divided into three sections by projecting metal rings. Luristan is famous for its bronzework, but its blacksmiths produced some of the oldest known decorated tools and weaponry in the world. Partly this seems to have been in imitation of the bronzework; hence the incredibly-shaped handle here. This is remarkable because iron is a much less tractable metal to work with compared to bronze, and items like this sword had to be laboriously made from many separate pieces of low-carbon iron. Based on similar swords from the area, the bulbous shapes at the top of the handle may actually be degraded forms of lion couchants; the overhanging edges might once have had grotesque human faces on them. Roughly ninety swords like this one have been published as of 1989; one has been found with the lower part of a scabbard, and another was found inlaid with cornelians. Some of the leather in the scabbards was radiocarbon dated to ca. 1100 BCE, hence the date given here for this sword. It seems that these pieces were made not to be used in battle, but instead to show status or as votive weapons - there is a strong tradition in the ancient Near East of swords and other weapons being associated with the gods. For example, there is a rock carving dating to ca. 1300 BCE from this region that shows a scene of the gods of the Underworld, including one who is holding a sword similar to this one. Similarly, a golden bowl excavated at Hasanlu shows three swords of similar form to this one that are associated with three deities from the Hittite pantheon. Size: 29.4" L x 2.6" W (74.7 cm x 6.6 cm)

Whatever its original function, this would have been a spectacular weapon to behold; iron objects from this time period are extremely rare, especially ones as decorated as this. The gleaming surface would have been even more interesting to see than bronze, the most common prestige metal of the time. Whoever commissioned the making of this sword must have been a high status individual, perhaps seeking to honor their gods by handling such a weapon.

c.f., Moorey, P.R.S., 1991, "The Decorated Ironwork of the Early Iron Age Attributed to Luristan in Western Iran", Iran, Vol. 29, pp: 1-12.

Provenance: Ex-private Southern California collection

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#117557

Intact/excellent condition.