A cast ogival-shaped blade with scooped midrib; to each face an engraved panel of parallel lines and arches following the profile of the blade; six plug rivets to the upper edge. [No Reserve]

PROVENANCE:
Ex Sir Richard Ground (1949-2014) Collection, Derbyshire, UK; acquired Christie's, New York, sale 1531, lot 67 (hammer price $6,600); ex 'South Styrian Noble Collection'; by gift from Marie Gabriele Ernestine von Windisch-Gratz, Duchess of Mecklenberg (the niece of Prince Ernst), circa 1900.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Gerloff, S. Prähistorische Bronzefunde, Abteilung VI, 2. Band. The Early Bronze Age Daggers in Great Britain, C.H. Beck'sche Verlagbuchhandlung, Munich, 1975, p.117.

FOOTNOTES:
Sir Richard Ground notes that the fashion for decorating the surfaces of swords, daggers and other items is typical of the Apa and Sögel cultures on the Continent. Each piece from the collection is accompanied by Sir Richard's personal illustrated catalogue sheets which describe the piece fully, give details and circumstances of his acquisition, academic references and general notes.

The eminent lawyer Sir Richard Ground, OBE (1949 - 2014), a graduate of Lincoln College Oxford, was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1975. After a period spent specialising in media law, he was, in 1983, appointed Crown Counsel in the Cayman Islands, a position which he held until 1987 when he assumed the role of Attorney General. He served as Chief Justice of the Turks and Caicos Islands from 1998 to 2004, and then as Chief Justice of Bermuda until his retirement in 2012. Highly regarded in legal circles for his decisiveness and impeccable integrity, he was awarded the OBE in 1991 in recognition of his services to the Cayman Islands, and was made a Knight Bachelor in 2012 for services to justice in Bermuda. He had a passion for the natural world and worked alongside his wife, fellow lawyer Lady Ground, to found the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, as well as publishing several volumes of wildlife photography.

Sir Richard was a keen and knowledgable collector of both coins and ancient weaponry. His collection of Roman, Byzantine, English, and European coins fetched exceptional prices when sold by Spink in September 2014. It is with pride that we are able to offer his collection of Bronze Age weaponry for auction.