Obsidian Lanceolate Blade, Pressure-Flaked Showpiece, Contemporary

Flintknapping in the ancient manner, ca. 1950–2020 CE. An elongated, lanceolate blade of black volcanic glass, likely roughed out by percussion and then refined by pressure flaking. Shallow conchoidal scars overlap across the faces like ripples caught in dark water. The body keeps enough mass to carry its extended, attenuated profile, while the margins thin to edges keen enough to embarrass a razor. This is the work of a contemporary knapper, not an ancient one, and nothing here was made for the hunt or the altar. It is a showpiece of controlled fracture, made to show the knapper’s command of a material that punishes every miscalculation. That command is tested hardest in so ambitious a form, where a single misjudged flake would have ended the work. Obsidian is natural volcanic glass. It forms when silica-rich lava cools too quickly to crystallize. Because it has no crystal structure, it breaks with a smooth conchoidal fracture that a skilled knapper can predict and steer. A freshly struck obsidian edge can be finer than a honed steel edge, which is why obsidian blades have been tried in some modern surgical settings. Flintknapping is the shaping of stone by controlled fracture. A blank is usually roughed out by percussion with a hammerstone or an antler billet. It is then refined by pressure flaking, in which a pointed tool of antler, copper, or similar material is pressed against the edge to detach thin, controlled flakes. Slender, attenuated blades are among the hardest forms to make. The further a piece extends, the more likely a misjudged flake or a hidden flaw in the glass will snap it. For that reason, ambitious examples are prized as tests of skill. The craft was revived in the twentieth century by experimental archaeologists and hobbyists trying to rediscover prehistoric techniques. That revival grew into a lively modern tradition of knappers who make display pieces in obsidian, flint, and other knappable stones. Their work is collected for its craftsmanship in its own right. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 206139

Estimation:€179.28

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