RARE ANGKOR IRON AND BRONZE SWORD FROM THE SOUTHEAST ASIA KHMER EMPIRE *SEA004

Product Description

SEE MORE ARTIFACTS OF ANCIENT ASIA

This spectacular, RARE iron and bronze sword is from the Angkor civilization (or Khmer Empire) dating between 800 to 1300 AD.  The Khmer Empire is the name given to an important civilization of southeast Asia that included all of Cambodia, southeastern Thailand, and northern Vietnam.  It is also the name of one of the medieval Khmer capital cities, containing some of the most spectacular temples in the world, such as Angkor Wat.  Major blade weapons like this sword, are extremely scarce and usually absent from the market making this a unique opportunity to add an exceptionally rare late antiquity sword to a collection.  

Unlike most ancient swords on the market where an unrelated handle has been attached to a non-original blade, this specimen is 100% original with a complete iron blade that is original to the bronze handle.  The handle features classic Hindu design features in its intricate decorations and pommel that imitates the iconic architectural prang towers (tall spire towers) of the famous Angkor temples.  This sword has been professionally examined, cleaned and conserved in our lab.  The bronze handle shows minor cracking damage near the base, possibly originating from actual combat use in its day where the iron blade hit an object and caused undue sideways force at the handle edge.  The sword is a unique shape and type known specifically from the Angkor civilization with its symmetrical elongated teardrop blade design.  An IMPORTANT addition to complete a museum-class ancient sword collection.

HISTORY

The Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Empire, was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia.  The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 when King Jayavarman II declared himself chakravartin ("universal ruler") on Phnom Kulen. The empire ended with the fall of Angkor in the 15th century.  The empire, which grew out of the former kingdoms of Funan and Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalised most of mainland Southeast Asia and parts of Southern China, stretching from the tip of the Indochinese Peninsula northward to modern Yunnan province, China, and from Vietnam westward to Myanmar.  Satellite imaging has revealed that Angkor, during its peak in the 11th to 13th centuries, was the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world!

Its greatest legacy is Angkor, in present-day Cambodia, which was the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith.  The majestic monuments of Angkor, such as Angkor Wat and Bayon, bear testimony to the Khmer Empire's immense power and wealth, impressive art and culture, architectural technique, aesthetics achievements, and the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time.