Ca. 1200-700 BC. Western Asiatic/Aegean. A stunning bronze sword with an elongated leaf-shaped blade, raised midrib, rounded guard and tubular grip with coiled decoration. The hilt finishes in a D-shaped stone pommel. Good condition; beautiful patina; custom-made stand included. Bronze weaponry production flourished in western Asia, the Aegean, and mainland Greece from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC, when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, spears, and arrows were important symbols of war in Greek Bronze Age societies and served as powerful reminders that authority rested in the hands of those who could earn it. Size: L:530mm / W:85mm ; 825g. Provenance: Private collection of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s.