Sassanian Sword w/ Silver Scabbard & Grip

[Jack Loomes]

A Sasanian iron and silver sword with scabbard

Iran, circa 6th-7th Century A.D.

The iron blade tapering to the rounded tip, surmounted by a silver hilt, the grip decorated with overlapping scale- like motifs, with a protuberance above the elliptical guard, the scabbard decorated on one side with scales, the other side with pairs of applied spirals either side of a vertical raised rib, with two P-shaped mounts secured with rivets, the backs of each with small loops for suspension from belt straps, The sword: 104cm long, the scabbard: 93.3cm long

FOOTNOTES
Provenance:
UK private collection, acquired in 1985.
German private collection, 1970s to 1985.

Literature:
There is a closely-related example in gold now in the British Museum, acc. no. 1972,0617.1. For further examples, cf. Exhibition Catalogue, Hofkunst van de Sassanieden, Brussels, 1993, pp.177-179, nos.36-39.

Source: www.bonhams.com/auctions/23365/lot/140/