The Asby Scar Sword: sword-sheath
- Gallery: Room 50
- Culture: Iron Age; La Tène
- Date: 1stC
- Object type: sword-sheath
- Materials: copper alloy; glass
- Museum number: 1994,0204.2
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is The Asby Scar Sword, an Iron Age sword-sheath that offers a glimpse into ancient craftsmanship. The bronze scabbard houses an iron sword and is decorated with intricate patterns, colored glass 'enamel', and bronze stringers in turquoise and red.
The front of the sheath is curved and bordered by flaring sections from the back plate. A bronze plaque, divided into three panels, is riveted to the top of the front plate. The top and bottom panels feature an S-shaped design in turquoise and red, while the center is cast in high relief with red glass accents.
The back plate is richly ornamented, with a suspension loop and loop plates decorated with rings of red enamel framing dark blue dots. The design includes cast panels with detailed motifs such as lobes, dots, and trumpet shapes.
Discovered beneath limestone in 1993 by a metal detectorist, the sword remains in remarkable condition, reflecting the skill and artistry of Iron Age metalworkers in northern England.
See it in person
The Asby Scar Sword: sword-sheath is on display in Room 50 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
