10th-11th century AD. A double-edge cutting sword of Petersen Type X with a fine tapering blade, shallow fullers bearing traces of pattern-welding, battle nicks to the blade; a boat-shaped hollow lower guard and tapering tang, tea-cosy pommel. Cf. Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919, sword from Skeje, Hordaland, fig.128, p.163; Oakeshott, E., Records of the Medieval Sword, Woodbridge, 1991; Roesdahl, E., Wilson, D.M., From Viking to Crusader: The Scandinavians and Europe 800 to 1200 (22nd Council of Europe Exhibition), Copenhagen, 1992; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002, sword from Tissø, Ars, no.C8727; ?abi?ski, G., ‘Viking Age Swords from Scotland’, in Acta Militaria Mediaevalia III, Kraków, Sanok, 2007, pp.29-84. 950 grams, 92.5cm (36 1/2"). From the family collection of a UK gentleman, by descent in the early 1970s; previously acquired before 1960; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato and a positive metal test from an Oxford specialist; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10887-181349. The sword belongs to Petersen Type X (Petersen, 1919, pp.158ff) and Oakeshott type XI (1991, pp.53ff.) categories, finding good parallels in various similar Viking and Norman age specimens (Peirce, 2002, pp.115ff."). One of the most evident parallels is the sword find B 860-63 from Skeie, Kvinnherred; a second one from Tissø, Danemark, today in the National Museum in Copenhagen; other two excellent specimens of this typology may be seen at the Musée de L'Armée, Paris (Peirce, 2002, pp.118-121"). The overall proportions of our specimen are eye-catching and it is strikingly similar to a pattern-welded sword found with a large number of other objects, at Camp de Péran, Côtes-d'Armor, France, in a 10th century context, probably linked with the early Norman settlers in Normandy or Norman raids in Breton Lands (Roesdhal, Wilson, 1992, p.321, cat.no.359"). Another sword of the same type was discovered in Scotland, at Styes of Brough, Sanday, Orkney (?abi?ski, 2007, fig.2"). The presence of pattern welding traces, if confirmed by scientific analysis, can suggest that good quality high-carbon steel was used in the process of making this sword. Condition Report Fine condition.