Bronze Dagger with Two Rivet Holes
Bronze Dagger with Two Rivet Holes
Place of OriginCyprus, excavated by 1873
Date1900-1050 BCE
Dimensions3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm)
Mediumbronze
ClassificationMetalwork
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1916.149
Not on View
The bronze objects (1916.134–1916.149) reflect Cyprus’s early mastery of copper, a resource so central to the island that its Latin name, cuprum, derives from Cyprus itself. Bronze Age weapons, including a dagger (1916.149), attest to early casting traditions, while later Roman-period tools reveal long-term continuity in everyday practices. Tweezers (1916.147), cosmetic implements (1916.144–145), mirrors (1916.135–136), and a rare buckle (1916.146) point to routines of personal care across centuries.
The glass vessels (1916.150–1916.165) document a different technological transformation. Most are Roman blown glass, produced after the invention of the blowpipe in the first century BCE, a development that shifted glassmaking from a luxury craft to large-scale production. One earlier ribbed bowl (1916.153), formed by slumping glass over a mold, preserves an older and more labor-intensive technique.
The acquisition also included several dozen ceramic vessels. Over time, the scope of the museum’s collection evolved, and most of these ceramics were later deaccessioned. Two Archaic vessels from Cyprus, a stamnos (1916.79) and an oinochoe (1916.96), remain in the collection as representatives of this early phase of collecting.
Comparative ReferencesSee also Gjerstad, Einar, The Swedish Cyprus Expedition, Stockholm, 1948, vol. IV, part 2, fig.Shang Dynasty (1766-1045 BCE)
325 BCE-250 CE
325 BCE-250 CE
about 475 BCE-150 CE
around 475 BCE-150 CE
1900-1050 BCE
about 480 BCE
about 300 CE
337-361 CE
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