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Product description
The khopesh is a curved, sickle-shaped Egyptian sword from the Bronze Age, originating from crescent-shaped Mesopotamian battle axes. Egyptians were already using the khopesh around 2500 BC — the earliest known image appears on the Vulture Stele, depicting the Sumerian king Eannatum of Lagash. By the 16th century BC, the khopesh had become the most popular weapon in Ancient Egypt. Blades averaged 50–60 cm in length. The curved blade was highly versatile in combat: use it to hook an enemy's arm or knock aside a shield, and it delivers devastating results in close quarters. Early khopesh blades were made from bronze; from the sixteenth century BC onward, iron became the standard material. The sword likely carried religious significance as well — Egyptian pharaohs are shown holding the khopesh in tomb murals, including those in the tomb of Tutankhamun from the fourteenth century BC. The khopesh fell out of use around 1300–1200 BC, but it still gets a mention on the Rosetta Stone.
This khopesh is built from EN45 spring steel with a black finish, with a brass snake coiling along the full length of the blade. The hilt features brass decorations and a lacquered wooden grip. Just below the hilt, a brass fitting depicts two snakes with their heads resting at the base of the grip, with water between them. Geometric motifs run along the rest of the hilt, and a Uraeus — a raised cobra — sits at the top. For the ancient Egyptians, the Uraeus symbolized royal and divine authority and was linked to life after death. With its detailed decorations and references to Egyptian art, this khopesh makes a striking addition to any collector's display.
