2nd Millennium BCE
9.2 cm (3 5/8 in.)
Purchased from Ancient Art International (Richard C. Brockway), Middleboro, MA, 1999.
Iron
JapaneseBlade: steel with gold-filled incised decoration and inscriptions; handle: braided brass wire over fabric on a wooden core; guard: cast brass and gilt bronze, with profile portrait of Lafayette enframed in draped flags; lion-headed pummel: cast brass with gilt bronze decoration
18th centuryFrenchCopper alloy
2nd millennium BCEIrishlimestone
2nd millennium BCEHurrianNephrite
ChineseSteel, jade
19th centuryIndianWatered steel with gold inlay
17th centuryPersianCast copper
3rd millennium BCEIndianArsenical copper
3rd millennium BCESyro-HittiteCopper
15th-13th century BCEHittiteCopper alloy
2nd millennium BCEEuropean