IRON AGE CELTIC VOTIVE LA TENE II SWORD Middle 1st century BC An iron sword of La Tène II type in its iron scabbard; the blade 60mm (2 1/2") wide at the upper edge, with deep point and long square-section tang with a rove to the upper end; the scabbard with raised median rib and C-section channels to the edges, C-shaped slider fitting to the reverse, scooped upper edges and La Tène comma-shaped incised decoration; substantial C-section chape with ribbed ornament; the whole weapon of about 80cm (32") length and its scabbard folded over double and then folded again to form a block 21cm (8 1/4") long excluding the tang. 1 kg, 30cm (11 3/4"). Fair condition. Rare. Provenance Acquired on the London art market prior to 1980. Literature Cf. Stead, I. & Rigby, V. The Morel Collection. Iron Age Antiquities from Champagne in the British Museum, London, 1999, item 1570. Footnotes The practice of ritual destruction of weapons has been found across Northern and Central Europe from the Bronze Age onwards. Swords folded in their iron scabbards are a particular feature of La Tène societies from the last centuries BC. The reasoning behind the practice is not understood in detail, but appears to be connected to the idea that the sword has a personality and 'will' of its own which needed to be released through ceremonial destruction on the death of its owner.
IRON AGE CELTIC VOTIVE LA TENE II SWORD Middle 1st century BC An iron sword of La Tène II type in its iron scabbard; the blade 60mm (2 1/2") wide at the upper edge, with deep point and long square-section tang with a rove to the upper end; the scabbard with raised median rib and C-section channels to the edges, C-shaped slider fitting to the reverse, scooped upper edges and La Tène comma-shaped incised decoration; substantial C-section chape with ribbed ornament; the whole weapon of about 80cm (32") length and its scabbard folded over double and then folded again to form a block 21cm (8 1/4") long excluding the tang. 1 kg, 30cm (11 3/4"). Fair condition. Rare. Provenance Acquired on the London art market prior to 1980. Literature Cf. Stead, I. & Rigby, V. The Morel Collection. Iron Age Antiquities from Champagne in the British Museum, London, 1999, item 1570. Footnotes The practice of ritual destruction of weapons has been found across Northern and Central Europe from the Bronze Age onwards. Swords folded in their iron scabbards are a particular feature of La Tène societies from the last centuries BC. The reasoning behind the practice is not understood in detail, but appears to be connected to the idea that the sword has a personality and 'will' of its own which needed to be released through ceremonial destruction on the death of its owner.
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