Bidspirit auction | SCYTHIAN IRON SWORD WITH BRONZE

SCYTHIAN IRON SWORD WITH BRONZE GUARD, POMMEL WITH FACING GRYPHONS AND CHAPE - Ca. 600 - 500 BC. An iron blade with a lenticular section and prominent midrib, tapering to a point. The rectangular bronze guard is decorated with four circular cells, each inset with a red cabochon. The short hilt terminates in a bifurcated bronze pommel in the form of opposing gryphon heads. The sword is accompanied by a matching chape, also cast with a double gryphon-head design. For similar see: B. Piotrvsky, P. Quoniam, Or des Scythes, Paris, 1975, Cat. 169-170. Size: 445mm x 60mm; Weight: 360g Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the European art market pre 2000. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.