Szabó Miklós, Petres F. Éva: Decorated weapons on the La Tene Iron Age in the Carpathian Basin. (Inventaria Praehistorica Hungariae 5; Budapest, 1992)

III. THE HUNGARIAN SWORD STYLE - The classification of the material

noted: spiral shoots, deepened curved triangles and drop motifs abound. The chape-end is decorated with a similar deepened technique.

318 A radical form of this stylistic trend can be noted on the Bodroghalom scabbard (Cat.no. 3; Pis 4, 5) which came to light in La Tène Cl type grave finds.

319 The design is reduced to a skeleton tendril of complicated delineation, with intersecting stems outlining drops, whilst the filler motifs are restricted to oval elements. This is slightly contrasted by the scabbard mouth above the reinforce with is deepened ornament which reflects directly a familiarity palmette motif.

320 These combined diagonal structures are not entirely independent of similar designs in the previous group as suggested by a closer scrutiny of the "trumpet flower" motif.

321 Even the radically simplified composition of the Bodroghalom scabbard echoes, to some extent, the synthesis of vegetal and zoomorphic elements on the reverse of the Cernon-sur-Coole scabbard: the tendril finials and the motif set within a circle could plausibly be interpreted as a bird head with curved beak.

322 It must here be recalled that comparable ornaments are also known from Gaul,

323 and that their distribution within the Carpathian Basin illustrates the eastward "penetration" of the Sword Style. We can quote the scabbard from grave 24 of the Iákovce/Iskelva cemetery (Cat.no. 92; PL 92) in eastern Slovakia whose ornamentation is closely allied to the two Hungarian scabbards described in the above.

324 In contrast with the former, the engraver of the Simanovci scabbard (Cat.no. 138; PL 124) was not a particularly talented master of his craft as shown by his uncertain lines. The decomposition of the ultimately vegetal decoration can also be noted on this piece: the voids between the tendrils are filled with drops, fish-bladder motifs, circles and waves.

325 The tendency to translate vegetal patterns into conservative geometric ornament is especially conspicuous in symmetric designs. The most suggestive example is perhaps the front plate of the Jutas 5 scabbard (Cat.no. 25; PL 24) whose upper part bears a geometric triangular tendril pattern spiralling into a fan, with lyre motifs and triskeles totally stripped of complementary floral or vegetal elements used as infills. Another characteristic example of this ornamental concept is a scabbard from Szob (Cat.no. 62; PL 64) whose front plate has "pendant" terminating in fans suspended from two large triskeles-filled roundels. The symmetric ornament on the front plate of a scabbard from Mokronog (Cat.no. 128; PL 119,2) is comparable to the decorative treatment and technical standard of the Bölcske scabbards,

326 whilst the tendril pattern filled with figure-of-eight and simple spiral motifs encircling large drops on the front plate of one of the Halmajugra scabbards (Cat.no. 16; PL 16) too can be set against these symmetric compositions.

327 One common element is the presence of triskeles on the uppermost part of the scabbard entry.

328 The scabbard from grave 2 of Neunkirchen (Cat.no. 78; PL 81,1) must be quoted in this respect because of its comparable symmetric design and its characteristic La Tène Cl context.

329 The iron razor from grave 17 of the Jászberény-Cserőhalom cemetery (Cat.no. 19; PL 19, 20) compares well with the previous pieces, with its skilfully adapted symmetric composition protracted with a tendril down one half of the pattern. This can best be compared to the design of a Szob scabbard (Cat.no. 63; PL 65) in terms of its stylistic concept

330 Also noteworthy is a motif reminiscent of a half-palmette on the lower tendril finial of the composition, which leads us to the rather unique scabbard recovered from grave 2 of Iákovce (Cat.no. 90; PL 90) which has been assigned to the earlier La Tène C phase.

331 The "pendant" pattern adorning the upper part of the scabbard can be interpreted as a symmetric tendril network which terminates in clearly outlined half-palmettes at the edges and in a fan motif underneath. The other part of the ornament is a tendril pattern enclosing drops; the dots on the stems can be regarded as filler motifs. A comparable symmetric tendril fills the scabbard mouths. The overall outlay of the pattern recalls openwork metalworks (with the dots perhaps imitating rivets). The openwork mount decorated sheaths discussed in the above may conceivably be seen as a possible source of inspiration.

332 The scabbard from grave 13 of JászberényHajta (Cat.no. 20; PL 21) offers yet another solution for the intricate tendril pattern. The filler motifs are reduced to backward curling shoots, but the generous scatter of stamped circlets lends a new emphasis to the overall design. The tendril pattern outlining large arcs and hearts fills the entire upper part of the front plate and appears to be a unique solution which is symmetrical, but not in the accustomed diagonal arrangement.

333 Our knowledge of the later phase of the Hungarian Sword Style has been considerably enriched by finds from Yugoslavia, which have been published by Guàtin together