Copper-alloy, 205 grams, 345 mm. 12th century BC. The one-piece cast dagger is a distinctive type with a long history in the region, associated particularly with Luristan. The Type III dagger has a narrow, triangular blade cast in one piece with the expanding hilt. The hilt is moulded with flanges along the sides which were cast straight but could be bent over a carved wooden or bone insert to form a decorative grip. The blade is lentoid in section, with a ricasso of about 26mm length. The surface has been professionally conserved. Reference: Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tubingen, 2006, p.59. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.