Eagle gladius hilt

[Luca]

Anyone knows about any archeological evidence of the famous eagle pommel of this statue?<br>
<br>
www.romanhideout.com/imag...rarchi.asp <p></p><i></i>

[Lucius Aurelius Metellus]

Hi Luca,<br>
My guess is that Aitor may be able to help you with some information on this spatha, as he has made a very beautiful replica of it. <p>Lucius Aurelius Metellus, miles gregarius, Secunda Brittanica</p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

I'm afraid that there is no archaeological evidence for such kind of pommel, except for a third century sword that was sold at E-bay a year ago or so. The sword and chape looked authentic and so the grip and maybe the guard but it was somewhat doubtful if the copper-alloy eagle-head pommel belonged originally to it. Apart from that, just a pair of short bronze swords which were probably intended to portrait parazonia on thoracate statues of emperors.<br>
On the pictorial record, parazonia daggers are often portraited with eagle hilts and, besides the statues at Venezia, there is a fragmentary statue with an eagle hilt sword at Istambul.<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>

[Luca]

Probably I saw it on that ebay auction.<br>
many thanks! <p></p><i></i>

[Uwe Bahr]

Avete omnes,<br>
<br>
I think, I have pictures and descriptions of the items You are talking about:<br>
<br>
<img src="http://people.freenet.de/u-bahr/Offiziers-Spatha.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
<br>
<img src="http://people.freenet.de/u-bahr/Offiziersdolchgriff.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
<br>
I did only copy the descriptions, they are not my texts, IMHO the so called dagger handle could be a sword pommel as well.<br>
<br>
Greets Uwe <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=uwebahr>Uwe Bahr</A> at: 11/18/04 2:18 pm<br></i>

[Luca]

WOW. These are not the images I remember. THESE ARE BETTER!!!!<br>
<br>
Big thanks! <p></p><i></i>

[Uwe Bahr]

Fine, that I could help. <p></p><i></i>

[Daniel S Peterson]

There is indeed a provenanced, original Roman eagle-headed sword pommel, made of ivory, and in the Mittelrheinisches Landesmuseum, Mainz. It is actually so unusual that the first inclination is that it might have gone on some cheapo Chinese made, fake samurai sword. The eagle is quite realistic with a rather fragile open beak. At one time, l suspect, this cavity was occupied by a serpent's head/neck, as the serpent's body is a coil which forms the grip. Like so many of the Mainz finds, I believe this is of 1st century AD date. Somewhere I have a photo.......<br>
<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>

[Luca]

I have it, I think:<br>
<br>
www.romanhideout.com/imag...dgrips.asp <p></p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

I didn't know it Does anybody her have a better pic of it?<br>
and, last but not least, welcome back Dan!<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>

[Crispvs]

I second that. Welcome back Dan!<br>
<br>
Crispvs <p></p><i></i>

[Daniel S Peterson]

Thanks, all. Luca, yes that's it. Seeing it again, I now recall the human masks on the guard as well. Very ununusal, and an interesting piece to reproduce.<br>
<br>
BTW, I believe that ebay eagle head pommel could just as easily be a finial to a wagon, or a number of other objects with no relation to Roman weaponry, not to say that swords of that type didn't exist, I am sure they did.<br>
<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

I kad seen it somewhere described as a whip handle for a charioteer ?<br>
<br>
Conal <p></p><i></i>

[Daniel S Peterson]

Yes, even the most mundane objects are purported to be much more than they really are, when the owner is trying to sell them.<br>
Dan <p></p><i></i>

[Dan Diffendale]

Speaking of selling, here's a piece in the Royal Athena Galleries:<br>
[url=http://www.royalathena.com/pages/romancatpages/CNH180.html" target="top]www.royalathena.com/pages/romancatpages/CNH180.html[/url]<br>
It's a bronze weight with a bust of Dea Roma clutching an eagle-pommeled sword.<br>
<br>
While we're at it... a "Roman ceremonial dagger" with eagle and duck. No claims at authenticity here.<br>
[url=http://www.trocadero.com/stores/griffingallery/items/279109/item279109.html" target="top]www.trocadero.com/stores/griffingallery/items/279109/item279109.html[/url]<br>
<br>
Hmm, going eagle-crazy here. This is described as a chariot fitting, but I'm not sure on what basis.[url=http://www.trocadero.com/stores/brondavid/items/270079/item270079.html" target="top]www.trocadero.com/stores/brondavid/items/270079/item270079.html[/url]<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=dannoulpius>Danno Ulpius</A> at: 11/26/04 2:07 am<br></i>