The ‘Birka Bird’ or Falcon chape seems to have been most popular in Sweden and Eastern European countries and all the way down to Byzantium.

It is decorated with a falcon with its wings spread and ring and dot patterns along the edge.

This style of chape would have seen use from the late 9th – early 11th centuries. I have based this particular chape on a find from Kostrzyn in Poland.

Cast in bronze using lost wax casting process, cast by Stuart Makin of Jackhammer Forge. Dimensions: Outer Size: 50mm wide x 59mm long x 20mm deep Inner Size (the bit the scabbard fits in): 45mm wide x 54mm long x 17mm deep.