1884.119.286

Collection type

Object

Description

Bronze dagger from Cyprus with damaged flanged handle with four bronze rivets and part of a further rivet hole. Probably Middle Bronze Age in date. [Dan Hicks 30/04/2012]

Long description

Tool or weapon with four rivets and a broken rivet hole. Please note this object does not have five rivets as the Accession Book entry suggests. [See note at end of Other Information below.] “Dagger. A slightly bent and damaged blade, with most of the handle missing and ending in a sharp tip. There is a flat midrib and a secondary ridge between that and the blade edge. The flanged handle has four rivets and part of a further rivet hole at the very top. As with no. 141 [1884.119.285], this weapon is of a type found normally in the Aegean.” [Description by Karageorghis, V., 2009, p. 112] [JFK 19/11/2009]

Geographical reference

Cyprus

Asia > Western Asia > Cyprus

Unknown

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Luigi Palma di Cesnola

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Archaeological period: Bronze Age

Date collected

1868 - 1870

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Bronze Metal, Process Cast, Process Cast

Dimensions

Length: max 305 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.119.286 Other numbers: Cypriot Archaeology 142 PR no.: 39/ 12099 [32/ 12099]

Research and responses

Note that if this is the match for the delivery catalogue entry this is the only source that gives the fraction number. Note that there is an entry in the 'Green book' for two 'bronze daggers forgeries'. These cannot be matched at the present time as there is insufficient information but no daggers are currently identifed as being reproductions. Any of the bronze daggers in the existing catalogue may therefore be reproductions [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

The date given with these objects (1868-1870) suggests that they are probably from the collection of General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, rather than from that of his brother Major Alessandro Palma di Cesnola. Luigi di Cesnola took most of his collection from Cyprus some time after June 1870. Large sales of Luigi di Cesnola's collection were held at Sotheby in 1871. Alessandro di Cesnola's collections were not sold in any great way until 1883 and 1884 when they were sold as the Lawrence-Cesnola collection. Also, this object was recorded at South Kensington with a date of 18 March 1881 so it must have been purchased before this date.[MdeA 5 July 1999]

At a sale at Sotheby's on 1st and 2nd May 1871, Pitt Rivers purchased two lots of metalwork. The sale was of material from the collections of General Luigi di Cesnola. It is possible but by no means certain that this object is from one of these lots. The lots were : Lot 18 'A Spear-Head with its socket ... 10in.' and lot 20 'Two Spear-Heads'. There does not appear to be a metal weapon or blade from Cyprus in the Pitt Rivers Collection which fits the measurements given but it is possible that the measurements were not exact. [MdeA 13 July 1999]

At a sale at Sotheby's on 3rd July 1871 Pitt Rivers purchased three lots of metalwork. The sale was the remainder the General Luigi di Cesnola's collection. It is possible but by no means certain that this object is from one of these lots. The lots were: Lot 62, Lot 63 and Lot 126 and consisted of 22 metal items - ten spear heads, a socketted spear, celts and other unlisted metal items.[MdeA 9 July 1999]

In 1999 samples from the PRM's collection of Cypriot archaeological metalwork were subjected to electron probe microanalysis with wavelength dispersive spectrometry by Peter Northover of the Department of Materials, University of Oxford. The sample from this object was given the sample number 'Cesnola 16' and subjected to three separate analyses, the mean results being as follows: Fe 0.44, Co 0.02, Ni 0.33, Cu 93.49, Zn 0.02, As 1.06, Sb 0.00, Sn 4.52, Ag 0.03, Bi 0.00, Pb 0.03, Au 0.03, S 0.03. A sample from a rivet was also taken, given the sample number 'Cesnola 15' and subjected to three separate analyses, the mean results being as follows: Fe 0.44, Co 0.02, Ni 0.33, Cu 93.49, Zn 0.02, As 1.06, Sb 0.00, Sn 4.52, Ag 0.03, Bi 0.00, Pb 0.03, Au 0.03, S 0.03. For the full results of the analysis, see Peter Northover's unpublished report 'Analysis of Copper Alloy Metalwork in the Cesnola Collection, Pitt-Rivers Museum' (in RDF: Researchers: Northover). [JC 14 11 2008]

Email correspondence today with Peter Northover confirmed that, based on his metallurgical analysis, this object is most accurately described as 'bronze (low tin/mixed)', rather than 'copper alloy'. The rivet sampled is best described as 'bronze medium tin'. I have updated the description accordingly [Correspondence now placed on file in RDF: Researchers: Northover] [Dan Hicks 01/05/2012]

Associated publications

Published under catalogue number 142 on page 112 in Karageorghis, V., (2009) Cypriote Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. A.G. Leventis Foundation. [JFK 09/10/2009]

Search terms: Tool, Weapon, Knife, Dagger