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.