An ancient Egyptian bronze sickle sword (khopesh). New Kingdom, circa 1500-1200 B.C. Length 55,8 cm. Weight 790 g. Intact condition, very nice patina. Blade and handle cast from one piece. No restoration, only upper layer of oxides removed. This sword comprises three main parts: the hilt, a straight section without edge, and a sickle-shaped end with a sharpened edge at the convex part. Rare type of New Kingdom khopesh sword. This sword is published in article of Carola Vogel. Icon of Propaganda and Lethal Weapon: Further Remarks on the Late Bronze Age Sickle Sword. Oxford, 2013, p. 83, figure 19.

The Egyptians themselves – devoted to equivocal expressions – named the weapon khepesh due to the resemblance of the curved blade to the foreleg of a cow/ox and its religious and political connotations beyond. Thus, the idea of being equipped with a ‘mighty arm’ implies being powerful in combat as well as an assumed general victory power. Many Pharaohs are depicted with khopesh – they kill enemies, receive sickle sword from gods, god rewards the Pharaoh with a sickle sword after successful mission, Pharaoh is holding a sickle sword before the campaign starts etc. This shows an important role of khopesh not only as a weapon, but also as a symbol, having important ceremonial and religious value, being an icon of victory. Most of depictions come from the New Kingdom period, when khopesh was used much more widely. New Kingdom sickle swords are very rare in the market.

Provenance: B. family estate, Israel, from 1959. With Israeli export license.