Beschreibung:

Norman Long Sword with Inlay Mid 10th-late 12th century AD A long double-edged sword of Oakeshott Type Xa and Petersen Type X with tapering elegant blade, shallow fullers running down within few centimetres of the point, inlaid letter 'O' to one side; undecorated cruciform cross-guard of style 1; stout tang and cocked hat type pommel of Oakeshott style E; German workmanship. 1.5 kg, 89.5cm (35 1/4"). Fine condition. Provenance From a 1980s collection, acquired by the vendor’s family; thence by descent; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato Literature See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Oakeshott, E., The Sword in the Age of the Chivalry, London, 1964(1994); Oakeshott,E.,Records of the Medieval Sword, Woodbridge, 1991; a similar specimen in Scalini, M., A bon droyt, spade di uomini liberi, cavalieri e santi, Milano, 2007, pp.104-105; for further examples of type Xa see Oakeshott, 1991, pp. 37 ff. Footnotes In 1980, Oakeshott created a sub-variant of the Type X, which he designated as Type Xa; originally all examples of this variant were put into the type XI classification. The new Type Xa does not, however, share the Type XI's long slender blade profile. While it has the same broad blade profile as the Type X, the fuller of this subtype is distinctly narrower in width, yet it maintains the same length. This may be a fine distinction, being judged by the singular detail of the fuller's width, but Oakeshott felt that it was important enough to create a new category to his typology. This type of swords were typical in the period between 1000-1050 AD, and were very common in the central Europe (Scalini, 2007, p. 104).