
Axe
September 6, 2021
Mammen axe
March 2, 2022One of the most iconic artifacts found in Sigtuna (Sweden) is the Mammen-style sword guard carved in moose horn, “the ivory of the North”.
This hilt is an unfinished piece, it was never finished by the craftsman who carved it, but a lot of research and publications have been dedicated to it from the 1930s onwards, the period of its discovery.
First discussed in detail by Arbman in 1944, he suggested that it was made in a Danish royal workshop for a high-ranking person in Sigtuna, probably the king.
With this work I wanted to give a plausible image of how the sword of Sigtuna could be, to do so I adhered to the strict canons of Mammen art, trying to pay homage to those craftsmen who thought about it about 1000 years ago.
Printed on high quality canvas, measuring 50×100 cm