A rare Bronze Loop Knife with Inset Handle, Late Bronze Age, ca. 1500–1000 BCE

A rare, finely cast bronze loop knife with a single-edged curved blade, the opposite edge slightly wider and unsharpened. The blade sweeps into an ovoid handle, originally set with bone or wood inlays on both sides, now missing. The handle terminates in a round suspension ring, cast integrally with the blade, a feature indicating the knife was designed to hang from a belt or garment for regular use.

The tool's compact size, functional curvature, and utilitarian construction suggest it is designed for personal use, likely for grooming, skinning, or daily cutting tasks. The absence of ornamentation, combined with practical features like the ring pommel and inlay-ready grip, is characteristic of Late Bronze Age metallurgical traditions across Central Asia, particularly those associated with mobile pastoralist groups in southern Siberia and eastern Kazakhstan. 

Medium: Bronze

Dimensions: Height: 8 3/4 inches (22.3 cm)

Condition: The knife is intact and in very good condition overall with strong blue-green surface patina. Presented on a museum-quality custom mount. 

Provenance: Private NYC collection, acquired from Ariadne Gallery, NYC in the 1980s - 1990s.

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