eBay

java75455 · ‎01-09-2021

I have several old, poor quality swords that I can't identify. I think they came from overseas but I am not even sure about that. Could anyone help me determine what I have and what it might be worth? Thanks

maxine*j · ‎01-09-2021

I don't see a sword. I see what I suppose might be a decorative spearhead or lance tip. Are there other pictures you meant to post? And what's the size of the item pictured?

java75455 · ‎01-11-2021

Thanks for the input! you might be right. I have enclosed some pictures of the entire collection which may be from the same place and time period. The pieces on the right of the orange paper are non magnetic while

the pieces on the left are magnetic. As for size the table they are on is about 2' X 8'. The one item in question is about 4" X12". I thought the spear point to the far left was a sword because of the wooden thing on the end of it that looks like a hilt.

java75455 · ‎01-16-2021

Everything suddenly got quiet. 😞 Does anyone have any idea when/where these are from and roughly how much they are worth?

maxine*j · ‎01-16-2021

Well, there have been 60 views, so perhaps all the other viewers have had the same reaction I did: Overwhelmed with the number of identifications needed for objects I'm unfamiliar with. To my admittedly unpracticed eye, some look real, some look fantasy, some look decorative.

I'm sure you didn't just find these in a sack on your doorstep, so whoever you acquired them from must have told you something about them. If you care to share that, it might help someone here.

As for value, we don't generally do valuations here but even if we did, nothing can be valued without knowing what it is.

I'm sorry that's pretty useless to you, but it's all I have.

There are on-line sources you might try, such as this one:

http://www.arms2armor.com/Identify/identify.htm

and

https://www.edgedweapons.nl/en/weapon-identification

argon38 · ‎01-16-2021

Count me clueluess but intrigued. I hope someone can shed some light on them.

sonomabarn67 · ‎01-16-2021

Try Indonesian antique knives.

ifyouloveit · ‎01-16-2021

Some back history would be most helpful. This is way out of field, but could some of them be old finials from gates and fences, etc? The first two pieces gave me a vision of fences and castle type adornments.

maxine*j · ‎01-16-2021

@ifyouloveit wrote:
Some back history would be most helpful. This is way out of field, but could some of them be old finials from gates and fences, etc? The first two pieces gave me a vision of fences and castle type adornments.

It's funny you should say that, because when I opened this thread for the first time and looked at the first picture, that was my thought. Then I saw it in context, with some objects that are weapons, and discarded the idea. But, who knows?

We have no provenance whatsoever, and it's needed, I think.

donsdetour · ‎01-16-2021

Some appear African: the one the right looks to be a weapon that could have been used.

You are going to have to find a weapons expert to say what all of this is. I am not one....

ifyouloveit · ‎01-16-2021

Agreed. Maybe it is a combination of weapons and finials and odds and ends that became a collection?

Hopefully OP can tell a bit more about provenance.

argon38 · ‎01-16-2021

@ifyouloveit wrote:
Agreed. Maybe it is a combination of weapons and finials and odds and ends that became a collection?

Aside from the three objects on the right, I don't really get the impression that this is a miscellany. My feeling would be that the person who assembled these knew what they were collecting.

java75455 · ‎01-17-2021

Maxine you give me the impression of someone who is smart. Thank you once again for your input. It is more useful than you realize. It pushes my mind in the right direction.

You are right. I didn't find them in a sack on my doorstep. They were in a plastic bucket.

The person I acquired them from is in heaven now so I can't ask them about them anymore and regrettably I didn't talk to them about this stuff very much when I had the chance. Inheriting them and finding them on my doorstep isn't the same thing I know but that is very near the situation.

I remember Dad telling me something about some company finding a cache of very old weapons somewhere overseas and putting them up for sale. He had the intention of buying some of them at the time, therefore I think that is where these came from. Also he used to buy from the Sadigh gallery in New York. I suppose the smart thing for me to do next would be to reach out to them but I fear the covid virus most likely has them at home, therefore I was hoping to find someone here that could identify these on sight.

As you said, nothing can be appraised without knowing what it is. Identification is what I am after right now. I might decide not to sell them at all.

The links that you provided were very much like other links that I have already found online. They contain information on swords that are newer and in much better shape.

maxine*j · ‎01-17-2021

Three suggestions:

Spend some time doing a Google image search on something like pole arms, and/or antique pole arms, and/or primitive pole arms. Also search using polearm as one word, and also search using weapon instead of arms. See if my first impression about a spearhead or lance tip has any merit.

Contact Sadigh's. Most galleries and auction hours are carrying on with business on-line.

Contact Bonham's. They an antiques arms and armour division, and they will charge you nothing to look at your items. On-line forms and instructions are at the website:
https://sell.bonhams.com/

Oh, a fourth: If you find out what the collection is come back and let us know! 😊

java75455 · ‎01-18-2021

I will surely let you know what I find out and I appreciate all of the input I am getting.

I contacted Sadigh's first. Michael Sadigh replied right back with an invitation to send him the pictures of the collection. I did find some items in an old Sadigh magazine that somewhat looked like what I have so I am hopeful that he can shed some light on this. I will let you know what he says.