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An Ancient Central European Bronze Age Sickle, dating to the second millennium BC.
The cast bronze sickle of typical shape and unusually large form. Adorned with reinforcing ribs and perforated tang for insertion into an original wooden handle, now lost. Sickles such as this were first developed in the stone-age and made of flint. They were traditionally used for cutting crops or clearing vegetation and their design persists to modern times. It is probable however that this extremely fine sickle was made as a votive object and never intended for use, subsequently being buried in a large votive deposit or hoard.
This idea of ritual burial may appear strange to our modern belief system. It must be remembered however that the Early Celtic Bronze Age people of Central Europe saw the ground as being inhabited by Gods and believed that ceremonial burials of objects could win favour with those Gods. For example, the ceremonial burial of a very high quality implement such as this may have been performed in order to increase the chance of a successful harvest. One of the most famous Celtic burials occurred at Snettisham in England, where hundreds of priceless Gold Torques were buried, apparently with no intention of recovery!
The finest Bronze Age sickle we have seen.
Length of Sickle from tip to tang: 7 inches.
Condition: Exceptional. The finest preserved example we have seen with a beautiful patina.
Provenance: From a British Private Collection and believed to have been excavated in Germany.
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