Luristan Dirk with Cuneiform Inscription
1125-1104 B.C. A bronze dirk or dagger with raised flanges to the grip, possibly to accept organic inserts, cuneiform script over two lines inscribed to the blade below the grip on both faces; blade repaired. Cf. identical type in Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran - The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.377, cat.6. 188 grams, 40 cm (15 3/4 in.). with a London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s.Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11591-199676. This is a dagger with an inscription of King Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon, 1125-1104 B.C. The inscription is identical to those on four other bronze daggers (reportedly from Luristan), three of which are in the Foroughi collection and one in the Iran Bastan museum (National Museum of Iran, inventory no.626/1626). The Type IIIa bronze dirk of the Medveskaya classification belongs to a series of weapons bearing the same engraved inscription in Babylonian cuneiform script which reads: 'It belongs to Nabu, the King of Kiohatti, the King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad'. It was cast in one piece (hilt and blade) and probably formed an endowment to the royal guard.