Sickle sword

Sickle sword

Unknown artist

Details

Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
2 13/16 × 21 1/16 × 1/2 in. (7.2 × 53.5 × 1.2 cm)
Origin
Assyrian
Holding institution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1911

Art Genome Taxonomy

8 tags

Subject Matter

  • Animals Both · 84%

    Animals are listed in the museum catalog as a subject, and a small figured motif is visible among the incised decoration on the blade, although its precise form is not fully legible.

Visual Qualities

  • Curvilinear Forms Visual · 98%

    The blade follows a pronounced continuous curve, while the hilt and grip use opposing curved and swelling contours.

  • Single Object Visual · 99%

    The photograph presents one isolated weapon against a plain, light-colored background.

Medium and Techniques

  • Etching/Engraving Visual · 80%

    Fine incised lines, lettering-like marks, and figured decoration are visible along portions of the blade, consistent with engraving.

Time Periods

  • Ancient Art Metadata · 99%

    The catalog dates the sword to approximately 1307–1275 BCE, placing it within ancient art.

Geographic Regions

  • The catalog identifies the object as Assyrian and places it in the Department of Ancient West Asian Art, supporting a Middle Eastern geographic classification.

Materials

  • Bronze Both · 99%

    The museum identifies the medium as bronze; the image shows a dark, weathered metal surface consistent with a patinated bronze object.

Antiquities, Artifacts, and Religious Objects

  • Arms and Armor Both · 99%

    The museum classifies the object as a sickle sword, and the image clearly shows a long, curved blade with a distinct hilt and grip.

Source & rights

Unknown artist. Sickle sword. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.