A section of tomb wall with a central register of eight rectangular panels each containing hieroglyphs naming offerings for the deceased; the top and bottom groups of eight rectangular panels each contain a depiction of a kneeling offering-bearer; all carved in high-relief; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

The vessel with integral round-section upward-facing handles, a third, round-section handle placed vertically between shoulder and upper neck to rear; laurel sprigs to the neck with traces of gilding; combat scene with Amazons (and Trojans?) below, armed with short swords and crescent shields, most wearing an exomis leaving the shoulder and one breast uncovered; volute palmettes below both side-handles, a panel of tiered and swirling volutes to the rear, all on a band of egg-moulding, repeated around the rim; possibly Apulian or Campanian; restored.

Composed of a shallow bowl and broad flange rim, two integral scalloped handles with scrolled flourishes, tapering to a loop handle with swan head terminals each with incised eye and beak detailing; perforated whirl within roundel to interior base; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.

Modelled in the round with a fragment of stand to the rear; the figure carefully carved to exhibit the delicate facial features and elaborate hairstyle; the palla drawn up over the head and falling over the shoulders to the upper arms; a diadem to the brow with foliage and tendril detailing; elaborate earrings with dangles; necklace of fusiform and tubular beads and a longer one below with piriform plaques; large disc brooch to the left breast with dangles; peplos-style dress draped across the body beneath the palla; left arm bent and hand passing across the body to grasp the hem of the palla with a herringbone bracelet at the wrist; the palla displayed pinned with rosettes to the rear panel; with inscription of thirteen Palmyrene characters above the left shoulder 'NRW' // BRT // 'QM' // ḤBL' meaning 'daughter of Aqima'; traces of red and green pigment; mounted on a custom-made stand by Colin Bowles Ltd.

In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a bird advancing with head bowed, with banded frame.

Modelled naturalistically in the round, directing his gaze upwards left, the eyes with sculpted pupils originally decorated with stone insertions, his face framed by voluminous short curls swept up off the forehead, sideburns and a moustache.

In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a perching bird with rosette above.

Divided into six sections by Christogram letters chi and rho, two of the segments with Greek letters alpha and omega, the other four segments with floral ornaments; a laurel wreath to the edge; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Written across two principal faces and three side edges, reading: 1-2) Say to Zakur-ahum, thus says Uzazza, your brother. 3) I have read the tablet you sent me. You wrote to me as follows: 4-5)'Five nomadic Suteans plundered the district of Zippat and I sent a troop. 6-7) I drove them back. I prevented them from taking anything. 7-8) So this troop left empty-handed. It is to be feared that they will go to the land of Arrapha and raise havoc, take action!' 11) This is what you wrote to me, and I rejoiced greatly. 12) In your tablet is written:'500 nomadic Suteans'. 13) Now, your servants whom you sent to me told me this: 14) 'A troop of 1,500 men has come. 15) Among them were many men with bows.'16 This is what they told me. Now never 17) have there been archers among the nomad-Suteans. 18) Is it not to be feared that the heavily-equipped 19) part of a foreign army is here itself comprising the nomad-Suteans with their bows? 20) The (result of the) divination I found said: 'Fire will devour the base of the reed.' 21) [...] its ... will not reach me. 22-23) [Now], shall I rejoice over the heavily equipped troop (that is) there? 24) [...]. 25-26) Now investigate this troop. 26-27) Send a full report urgently one way or the other, 28-29) so that I may circulate [a swift messenger] so that 29-30) the whole country may be gathered [in my fortresses] and so that I may take action. 31-33) Moreover, earlier, nomadic Suteans assaulted the palace cowherds one evening and 33-34) carried away all the cows from the palace. They left nothing behind. 35-36) There are none left, including the cows they had been entrusted with that evening. The next day, 37) a rescue troop (sent) by Ašrum, in pursuit of them 38) went as far as the banks of the Euphrates, but 39 returned empty-handed. 39) Another thing, 40) concerning what you wrote to me: 41-42) 'Looters set up a siege instrument- kalbanatum against a fortified farm and killed people. In addition, they carried off ten oxen. 43) And Ašrum went in there. Check that 44 their oxen no longer disappear.' This is what you wrote to me. 45-46) Now, shall I rejoice in this matter, or shall I [not] [...] them [...]. 47-48) Now, is there a plunderer who can plunder on my watch? Now, when I hear (about them) 49-50) and as soon as I send a message, do I not put them on the pal? No doubt 51-52) these people are foreigners, but you consider them to be Arrapha inhabitants! Now, precisely according to what you've written to me, 53-54) I'm going to send a fast messenger to the very interior of Arrapha and carry out a check. ; repaired.

Written over two faces; lentoid cross-section.

Matched pair of Samnite triangular breast and backplates, a suite of 'triple-disc' type, each with three repoussé panels with carinated rim, flat spandrel above and curved on the lower sides, with perforated edges to affix to a separate mail garment; rivetted loops to the shoulders for attachment of supporting straps, and similar lateral loops with portion of round-link chain in situ; mounted on a custom-made stand.

Montefortino helmet with bulbous domed skull and a plain crest knob with flattened top; plain and flat neck guard with thickened rim; the front with punched Latin inscription 'A N CFN'; the surface largely covered in marine encrustations; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.

Finely knapped lentoid-section dagger with lateral recesses and square butt; old collector's label '281'.

Long blade with small portion of cortex at the upper end, sharply tapering point with edges worked from both sides.

A slightly bent irregular bar of hacked gold with rectangular cross-section, showing evidence of compression and fracture to each end, some subtle transverse lines on both of the main surfaces.

The substantial heater-shaped plaque with spectacular openwork Urnes style design, the standing beast with entwined tendrils, pronounced head at the apex, narrow ledge to the reverse and rivet holes to each corner with two rivets remaining.

Of tubular form with flared rim and applied collar to the foot, applied trails to the sidewall and four rows of prunts with applied blue-glass ornament.

With a slender D-section hoop, bevelled rectangular cell set with a garnet cabochon; satellite settings at the corners, each with a green cabochon (one absent), the ring preserved in the same condition as it was when found.

With plain circular hoop and square diamond-shaped bezel with replicant natural diamond crystal.

Broadly rectangular in cross-section and constructed from two sheets of gold; the external hoop carrying an etched decorative design comprised of a row of eight-armed stars in relief with a prominent horizontal line connecting the stars; the internal hoop with Latin inscription in block capitals reading '+FORTES FORTVNA IVVAT' translating to 'fortune favours the brave/strong'; straightened.

Used for making a striated domed mount with a crescent-shaped finial; locating holes to each side of the dome. 28.8 grams, 37 mm



From the property of the late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999.

Restrung using variously shaped beads in shades of blue and green, with a central teardrop-shaped pendant. 5.33 grams, 44 cm long



UK gallery, early 2000s.

Composed of restrung lentoid-section disc beads. 38.5 grams, 46 cm long



UK gallery, early 2000s.

Featuring curved sides and bottom, scalloped upper edge; median figure in textured hat flanked by two resting camels on a pounced field; applied loop to each upper corner; some old repairs. 90 grams, 17 cm



London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s. with Bonhams, London, Islamic & India Art sale, circa 2015, p.45, lot 55. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.202353.

Ghurid Dynasty metalwork is poorly represented when compared to the architecture of the period, and the majority of surviving pieces are items of jewellery mostly in Russian museum collections. The sculptural nature of the decoration of this repoussé sheet sets it apart from the more usual output of Iran at this time, recalling the fine silversmithing of the Sasanian period.

Restrung with three central feature beads; composed of graduated beads of various types of stone, glass and shell. 19.5 grams, 44 cm long



UK gallery, early 2000s.

Similar beads were found during the excavations of the royal tombs of Nimrud. Thousands of beads were discovered in the sarcophagi, including those of Nimrud’s Queens; they probably originally formed part of wide collars with multiple strands.

Mixed group of gold jewellery elements including a granulated conical finial, granulated triangular dangle, ribbed collar and other items. 4.34 grams total, 6-20 mm



From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.

With square-section body and tapering spike, lateral languets pierced for attachment to the haft, hook to the rear and thick blade with crescent recess, pierced. 756 grams, 45 cm



Ex California, USA, collection formed since the late 1960s. European art market before the late 1990s.

With triangular blade, having a barbed deltoid shape and a rounded projecting midrib tapering towards the sharp point, cylindrical stem and rectangular sectioned tang: accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 36 grams, 21.5 cm (140 grams total, 22.5 cm high including stand)



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

According to Khorasani, this type of arrowhead belongs to a subcategory of the category of type V of Luristan arrow points. In the four categories of triangular bronze arrowheads from Luristan, Marlik and Northern Iran individuated by Negahban, subtypes C and D of type V are larger arrow or javelin heads, C with barbed shoulders and D with round shoulders.

Comprising eight anti-cavalry caltrops, hand-forged with square-section spikes. 298 grams total, 77-95 mm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Comprising four scaphoid lead slingshots (glandes), each with traces of low-relief inscription(s) referring to 'CN P[OMPEIUS]'. 216 grams total, 37-50 mm



Ex M.Cummings, UK, 1990s.

These shots (mainly of type IIb of the Völling classification) are marked with the abbreviated name of Cn.Pompeius; they were used in quantity at the Battle of Monda (or Munda) against the Caesarian troops, by the followers of Pompey, on 17th March 45 B.C. Similar missiles were used in the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, and in all Caesar's wars. The projectiles of the slingers could be in lead (glandes) or in pottery or stone (lapides). Sometimes they were signed with the name of the general, or used to report some injuries, for example the sling missile found in Alesia with the name of Labienus.

Missile weapon with short iron shaft and square-section barbed head, lead sleeve to the lower end of the shaft. 116 grams, 19 cm



From the collection of B. Posey, UK, 1990s.

The lead-weighted darts known as plumbatae mamillatae, (or breasted javelin) were short darts mounted upon a shaft, of the same shape, and thrown from a short distance. A Roman soldier would typically carry around 5-6 of these darts at any one time, fastened to the back of his shield. They could be thrown overhand or underhand, with an effective throwing range of up to 60 meters by trained soldiers. They could also be fixed upon longer shafts.

Fitted with a triangular blade with two barbs, expanding tubular socket. 213 grams, 23.5 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Since the third century, Roman soldiers increasingly started to use long shafted socketed weapons with barbed heads. These weapons were called bebrae by Vegetius, according to whom they were able to cut heads with a single stroke. They first appeared in Northern Europe, as shown by numerous finds of barbed heads in graves and peat-bogs, especially Danish, and were introduced to the Roman army by Germanic mercenaries.