Sword pommel
 

Colleagues,
Please, help to find out origins of this pommel from western part of Russia (Smolensk region). It's made of bronze.
Thank you in advance!

It looks Viking... :shrug:

the russ were originally vikings.

They certainly were.. yaa selfolgelig !!!

The pommel style rings a bell see https://www.google.com/search?q=viki...5C8G9DWDKlM%3A

This pommel looks unusual for me:
- it has a different form,
- it's hollow
- it's made of bronze
I can't find similar pommel :(

I think your pommel could be older, maybe from bronze age.

The pommel seems to be viking but the vikings were inspired by older designs, the Spatha or straight persian bronze swords for example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatha
https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/Спата
https://www.google.de/search?q=spath...w=1352&bih=763

Roland

If it is from the Viking Age (which I am not certain it is), it should be compared to Petersen's type W, which are cast in bronze and hollow, and usually have some simple geometric ornaments. Here are two examples from Norway and one from Russia.

The fluting or faceting may point to a non-European or non-Medieval origin... I have only seen one example with something like this feature, and it is not related to the type W pommels.