Lot 553

Viking Age Iron Dagger | Horned Goat Finial | Double Lobed Guard

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Viking Age Iron Dagger | Horned Goat Finial | Double Lobed Guard

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Starting Bid: $400

(0 Bids)

June 12, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
Louisville, CO, US

Description:

Eastern Steppes, Southern Europe, ca. 9th - 11th century CE. Eastern Steppes / Southern Europe, Viking Age, ca. 9th–11th century CE. A hand-forged iron dagger of exceptional character, featuring a long curved blade with an applied double-lobed hilt guard secured by a center rivet. The flat rectangular hand grip terminates in a finely rendered horned goat finial with a pierced eye, exemplifying the rich animal-style artistic tradition shared across the Norse and Eurasian Steppe cultures of the period.

The goat held deep symbolic resonance in Norse mythology — most notably as the sacred animal of Thor, whose goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr pulled his chariot across the heavens. A weapon crowned with a goat finial would have carried powerful divine associations for its bearer, invoking the strength and protection of the thunder god in battle. Size: 12”L (30.5cm).

Provenance: Emily & Walter Mead Collection, Santa Fe, NM., active 1960’s - 1990’s. (Mead Paper Corporation family).

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Item # 71455

  • Condition: Overall deep black-brown surface patina. Intact.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 + $1,000