This sword was inspired by the petals and thorns of a rose, along with the shape language of the Roman gladius.
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I absolutely love Ridley Scott's Gladiator. It was the beginning of my fascination with the Roman Empire. The empire is fascinating to me not only because of the culture it created, but also because of the incredible feats of engineering its people accomplished.
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The gladius evolved alongside large shields and tight infantry formations, designed to work around those shields and strike efficiently. I wanted this sword to borrow some of that visual language while blending it with the organic forms of a rose. I also wanted the stained tip to suggest poison.
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Another element I wanted to include was chains. Originally, they were meant as a nod toward another weapon that has yet to enter the vault, but in hindsight they also pay a subtle visual homage to gladiators.
The color palette was especially fun to explore, from the complementary relationship between the teal and orange to the rich reds playing against those cooler tones.
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The other major inspiration came from ancient Celtic and Bronze Age leaf blades. I've always found those early swords fascinating because you can almost see the inspiration behind their design. It's easy to imagine an early smith watching a leaf slice through the air as it falls and wondering if a sword could do the same. Celtic leaf blades have an incredibly naturalistic quality to them. Perhaps that's partly because bronze oxidizes over time, giving many surviving examples a beautiful green patina that makes them feel even more connected to nature.

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