This sword is based on an original in the collection of the Musée de l’Armée in Paris, dated to the mid-10th to mid-11th century. The original sword was part of a four-piece Viking sword collection sold at Sotheby’s in London on 1 November 1984, as lot 103. Its blade carries the celebrated Ulfberht inscription on one face — a name associated with some of the finest ironwork of the Viking Age, prized enough to have been widely (and often poorly) imitated in its own time — and on the reverse, the enigmatic marking ‘DUNA+DUNA XX’, a combination of letters and symbols historians believe may have functioned as an abbreviated phrase or a talisman for luck.
Deepeeka has recreated this piece with faithful etched reproductions of both inscriptions, part of our museum-referenced Viking heritage range.
A striking centre piece for collectors interested in Viking Age ironworking and inscribed blades, and a strong talking-piece for display.
