Lot 989

Description

Oval pommel plate with an oval knob in the centre. Below this the slightly bulging hilt with constrictions at the top and in front of the curved wings, which grip the blade at the top. The upper constriction narrower than the lower one, the maximum wide of the hilt at the transition to the lower third. Directly below the pommel plate, horizontal grooves are still visible, also on the bottom of the pommel plate, as is typical of swords of the Riegsee type. The frequently occurring so-called “Paragraphenmuster,” however, is not present. The further typological features are likewise typical of Riegsee swords. The two wings, which embrace the blade at the top in overlay casting, leave a semicircle free in the centre; the slightly bevelled ends are drawn to a point inward in a manner that is slight but clearly perceptible. Above the ends, an additional rivet each near the inner edge of the wings. The blade narrows by approx. 1 cm in a curve directly below the wings. The cutting edges then run straight to just before the head, where they converge on it in a curve. The blade width narrows from 3.7 cm to 2.3 cm before the slightly curved run towards the head. In the centre of the blade a distinctly raised rib, approx. 1 cm wide in the upper area, only 0.7 cm in the lower area. Covered with a dark green oxide layer that partially exposes the dark brown cuprite layer beneath. The whole partially overlaid with incrustations. Length 69.5 cm. Excellently preserved fully-hilted sword without the nicks on the cutting edge that are usually present. CULTURAL ASSET!

Provenance: A private collection from northern Germany, acquired in the 1980s on the German art market.

Condition: I - II Questions about the lot?