I've lately seen some photos taken by Niels Provos of some extraordinary swords and other items from the Reichsstadt Museum in Germany. Many items that seem atypical to me of the little I know of Viking age/Migration swords and arms.

But what is the very wide sword at the bottom of this picture? Seems like a Chinese broadsword??

Looks like a Katzbalger to me. Would be more consistent with the things on display in Rothenburg, than a chinese sword. ;o)

But it is Very Nice, hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Are you thinking along this line for the project we are talking about?

Dave

Thomas... I'm not familiar with that sword at all. I've been working on a Chinese broadsword lately and this looks almost exactly like it except for the fact that it's iron.

As to being in that museum.. I've only heard that it originally comes from somebody's private collection and have no idea how the things are organized or categorized.

But this is why I posted... to find out. :-)

David.. I'm not sure. I have to find out more about this thing. Like I said.. New to me! At least in a Western context. Feel free to send me an email with whatever you have on it...

edit: well.. having looked into a katzbalger.. I guess it seems possible. But still out of place with other things in that particular display box.

Are you sure it's the Reichsstadt Museum at Rothenburg? I'll have a look in my photo archive, if I've taken a picture of it.

edit: Haven't found a pic of this particular blade, sorry.

hmmm.. Interesting. Because Niels couldn't find it in his catalog of Reichstaadt either...

Will look into it.

Thanks for looking...

edit: oops.. you meant your own photo archive...

Why not a migration period or even Celtic blade? A lot of those had wonderful double fullers...

wait... couldn't this just be a double fullered iron gladius???

And what is that little leathery rain guardy looking thing at the tang/blade junction?

... I had a picture for awhile of a pair of Chinese swords in a museum display, and
one of the pair DID have a double fuller, and might have been made of iron. Without
immediate research, I don't think it would be a hazardous guess to suggest that
Chinese swords of that type would sooner or later transition from bronze to iron ...

I did find this picture though, and I believe the swords are of bronze ... though they
look " iron-ish " ....

I think that might be bronze or brass used to reinforce the junction between the tang and the blade if they are welded together after they broke maybe. Or it was used to shim the empty space between the guard and the blade... I don't think it's leather.

Luka.. we must have posted at the same time as I didn't see the post where you mentioned celtic and migration.

I suppose it's possible.. but other than the gladius.. I haven't see ones so short and fat... but again.. I'm still learning about this time period.

Matthiew... your picture is why I mentioned Chinese. It looks just like that doesn't it? But it WOULD be odd in what I've seen of this particular collection so far. Thanks for posting that lovely picture... nice inspiration for my Chinese diversion... :-)

Are we sure it is short and fat? it seems to be missing a lot of material, is it possible the blade extended further than it currently does?

Joel.. I'm not sure. It could be that it broke or corroded through in a way to appear to have a tip. That is certainly possible. If that is true then it could just be a double fullered Migration sword then...

Timo..

Matthiew posted pictures of the 'Chinese broadswords' I've been mentioning. The picture above.. with the more diamond cross section is very similar to the one I'm working on. But these were bronze age swords.. so maybe you are familiar? But he did mention a possible iron one which would be really cool.

Chinese tanged bronze blades of such proportions I've seen dimensions for usually have blades about 20-30cm long, and about 4-5cm wide. Warring States mostly, and a few Qin. These are about the same width as typical longer Warring States bronze jian (which are usually still quite short). I wouldn't call them "broadswords", and would perhaps call them daggers rather than swords.

Here is one example with dimensions given: #71 on http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/cn.bronzeweapons2.htm ; this has a longer tang than most. Usually the tang only goes a fairly short distance into the hilt. Sometimes, there is a disc pommel and tubular grip (cast together, I think), and the tang is pinned into this.

Here is a quite wide iron sword: #88 on http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/cn.steelswords.htm ; comparing length and width, this looks to be 5.5cm wide.

Why did you not include this quite long example?

[ Linked Image ]

Although not double fullered.

Anyway.. I was mostly just curious as to what that particular sword was.. and most likely it's a degraded double fullered early European sword of some sort. I guess.

Tom...

Just saw your post. Yes.. you are probably right. Makes sense.

Anyway.. I'm certain it's not a Chinese sword.. :-) It was just one of those strange moments when I'm working on two different projects spanning two cultures.. and I was thrown when I saw that blade.

Edit: By the way.. I will be researching a pattern welded Migration period sword project soon.. and I'd love see more examples of double fullered swords from this period.. :-)