The Viking Short Bladed Spear is typical of those of Celtic origin imported into Scandinavia. The short blade, inherently stiffer and more resistant to bending or breaking, was capable of piercing any body armor of the period.This decorated spearhead demonstrates the Viking’s creative mix of art and war, whereby weapons often carried intricate patterns, created using the “Niello” process. This involved using an alloy of several metals (notably silver) mixed with sulfur which was rubbed into an incised pattern and then fired. Where the alloy is rubbed into the engraving it remains black, while the rest of the surface is polished to a bright finish. Our decorating process uses a little more technology but still provides a lustrous, permanent Niello-like effect. 9 3/8" overall