252 CHAPTER 3
ing the central rhombic field from the ends from grave No. 64 at Gyenesdiás,335
and the curved grooves on the crossguard of Baracs.336 The concave sided
sabre crossguard from the IIIrd find at Igar is covered with gold sheets.337 The
sabre from grave No. 1 at Wien–Liesing is covered with gilded silver sheet, but
its shape is different from the usual short, star-shaped examples.338
The crossguard from grave No. 7 at Dunaújváros is of a different shape,339
and is similar to the crossguard from grave No. X at Tarnaméra–Urak dűlő,340
although the example of Dunaújváros ends in spherical parts, while the exam-
ple from Tarnaméra terminates in discs.
Most of the gold or silver coverings are box-shaped and made of two parts
which is particularly well represented on the examples from Gyenesdiás341 and
Baracs.342 These crossguards are usually broad and oval in plan.
Although it is not part of the crossguard, functionally the spacers under-
neath also belong to them, for two reasons: they prevent the slipping of the
crossguard and, they were used as supporters for the thumb, which also pre-
vented it being cut by the blade (fig. 93/7). This part is usually made of iron,
however, the sabres with crossguards covered with gold or silver sheets were
usually equipped with ribbed gold or silver foil spacers.343 The width of these
ribbed spacers is between 1.5 and 2 cm.344
Star-shaped crossguards with gold or silver covering are only known from the
Middle phase. The metal sheet covering is only a decorative element without
any function. Its antecedents were already known during the end of the Early
335 Müller 1989, Abb. 2, 143–147, Abb. 3–5.
336 Nagy 1901b, 285, Hampel 1905. I. 196–197, 470–471. kép, II. 628–629; Hampel 1907, 109–110.
337 Marosi 1931, 6–7; Fülöp 1987, 17. 8. ábra; Fülöp 1988, 167–168. Abb. 14.
338 Mossler 1948, 220.
339 Garam 1994–95, 134, 8. kép.
340 Szabó 1965, 42, VIII. t. 1–3; Simon 1991, 307, 11. kép 2.
341 Müller 1989, Abb. 2, 143–147, Abb. 3–5.
342 Nagy 1901b, 285, Hampel 1905. I, 196–197, 470–471. kép, II. 628–629; Hampel 1907, 109–110.
343 These spacers have been erroneously described as lockets in some studies, despite the
fact that they are located on the blade directly under the crossguard.
344 Baracs–Ágocs-tanya (Nagy 1901b, 285, Hampel 1905. I, 196–197, 470–471. kép, II. 628–629;
Hampel 1907, 109–110); Dunaújváros–Öreghegy, Rákits D. földje (Dunapentele) grave
No. 7 (I) (Hekler 1909, 97–105; Fettich 1926a, 27–28; Marosi – Fettich 1936, 9–17, Taf. I–VI;
Bóna 1970, 250, 3–8; Bóna 1971a, 249–250 (33–34), 271 (51); Bóna 1982–83, 62–64, No. 20a–d,
Taf. 27–28, 35.9; Garam 1994–95, 134, 8. kép); Igar–Vámszőlőhegy, Petőfi u. 56. grave No. III
(Marosi 1931, 6–7; Fülöp 1987, 17, 8. ábra; Fülöp 1988, 167–168, Abb. 14); Ozora–Tótipuszta
grave No. 1 (Wosinsky 1896, 1000–1008, Taf. 252–254; Hampel 1897. II, LV–LVII. táblák;
Hampel 1905. III, Taf. 268; Bóna 1982–83, 104–109; Garam 1992, 145–146. Taf. 61, Taf. 62/8);
Wien XXIII–Liesing grave No. I (Mossler 1948, 220).