Carved with soft facial features and carefully executed cosmetic lines around the eye, earring, and carefully detailed duplex wig with gently wavy curls; likely from the Ramesside Period; mounted on a custom-made stand.

Modelled in the round with a muscular nude body, his club resting on his shoulder and the hair dressed in rows of tight, close-set curls underneath the Nemean lionskin hood with cloak billowing over his left arm, the paws tied across his chest; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Carved head of a prepubescent worshipper of Isis, with soft facial features, long nose, small downturned mouth, heavy-lidded eyes, the whole giving the face a sombre or mournful appearance; the hair textured to indicate a short cut and combed forward across the scalp, sidelock above the right ear; mounted on a 16th century carved breccia upper body with leather cuirass and pteruges to right shoulder, cloak draped across the shoulders and fastened at the clavicle on the right side with a disc-brooch; socle base; some restoration.

Modelled in the round and originally part of a monumental statue, the naturalistic right foot encased in a trochades leather sandal with median reversed tongue secured with side straps and thick looped laces; the thick platform sole slightly curved, toes and nails well defined; mounted on a substantial custom-made display stand.

Modelled in the half-round, nude with eyelids half-closed in sleep; a drapery partly covering the head and wrapping around the lower body under the hips; the hairstyle similar to those of the Antonine Dynasty, the peaceful face supported by the hands and the ear pierced to accept an earring; iron reinforcing rod to the feet and the right arm's armilla a later replacement; upper head restored in Parian marble.

An imposing panel divided to four sections by a central cross on a stepped pedestal, the lower and upper arm with branch-like extensions; the upper quadrants with a circlet surrounding a palm tree-shaped motif; each lower quadrant with a bird in profile facing back; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

Carved skull on a short neck with musculature and blood vessels; mandible in place with some teeth in sockets, wisps of hair adhering to the dome of the skull; one zygomatic bone partly absent; square-section socle base.

Carved in the half-round head of a Bodhisattva (probably Maitreya) with fine detailing to the arched brow, aquiline nose, neat moustache and full lips; the eyes heavily lidded, urna to the forehead, long open lobes to the ears; the hair in multi-stranded curling locks gathered into an ushnisha with brow-band below; heavily cleaned, conserved, and mounted on a custom-made stand; supplied with original old wooden base with collector's label: 'Head of Bodhisattva / Fine grain schist / Gandhara, Northwest Pakistan / 4th century'.

Including double-edged leaf-shaped type, chisel-type and others. 410 grams total, 15.5-21 cm



Ex London collection, formed 1990-2000.

With elongated butt and flanged cylindrical socket, slender neck with broad, flaring cheeks, raised fore-edge to blade. 627 grams, 19.5 cm



Private collection, UK, formed 1980s-1990s.

With crescent blade and rounded knot at the butt, ornamental curved edging to the upper shaft hole, a cord edge on the lower shaft hole, incised band around the edge of the blade. 267 grams, 97 mm



UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.

The type corresponds to the Gernez type H.2.H.a, of axes with collar and short sleeve lined with mouldings, fan-shaped blade and rear knot. It was a variant only known in Elam and Luristan. In Luristan one identical specimen was found at Chigha Sabz (grave M7). In Elam the majority of these axes were found in the Middle-Bronze Age (Age of Isin-Larsa or Early Babylonian Age) tombs of Sarcophagi, at Susa.

Including triangular, leaf-shaped, barbed and other types. 446 grams total, 10-16.5 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.

One series of arrowheads seem to belong to the category of lanceolate head and rounded shoulders from the category Type V, i.e. triangular arrowheads with rounded or angular midrib. Some other arrowheads seem to be a subcategory of subtype A of Khorasani but longer.

Including horseshoes, arrowheads, surgical tools, architectural fittings and other items. 1.6 kg total, 4-19 cm



Ex Cambridge, UK, gentleman, 1990s.

Mainly comprising socketted axeheads and adzes, together with other items; including at least one stamped with maker's marks. 9.5 kg total, 14.5-28.5 cm



Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.

An axe similar to those of our group was found in the fortified camp of Péran, in Brittany, among the objects that emerged from a conflagration due to the attack of Alain Barbetorte's Bretons on a Viking camp, in 936 A.D. These axes were certainly work tools, although in case of necessity they could also serve as improvised weapons.

A spatha with a double-edged parallel-sided blade, battle nicks to both cutting edges; long tang with a fastening rivet in situ; small trapezoidal bronze pommel. 707 grams, 91 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12040-216429.

The spatha, often with an elegantly decorated hilt with golden elements, was characterised by a relatively light handle so that the centre of gravity of the weapon was moved towards the tip. The evolution of the 'barbarian' long sword in the west, during the invasions, began around the 5th century.

A piriform ceramic missile with a band of impressed bars and triangles, with domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 913 grams, 13.5 cm



From a military inspired collection formed from the 1990s. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.

Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.

Narrow T-shaped blade with curved edge, large D-shaped socket with lateral triangular flanges and rectangular extension to the rear. 588 grams, 17 cm



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

Slavic battle-axes also came into use in Scandinavia, especially in the Eastern part of Gotland, Denmark and Sweden. One of the types was a T-shaped axe with a broad blade. There were narrow-bladed types too, described as being very light. Another characteristic of some of the Eastern axes was an extra long hammer or more rarely a secondary blade protruding from the back of axehead.

Including triangular, leaf-shaped, barbed and other types. 450 grams total, 9.5-15.5 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.

A piriform ceramic missile with band of impressed roundels to the shoulder and filler-hole above, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 567 grams, 10.5 cm



From a military inspired collection formed from the 1990s. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.

Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.

Comprising a U-shaped shank with carinated outer face, locket to each finial, ball and curved arms supporting a seven-pointed rowel. 70 grams, 13.5 cm



Private collection, UK, formed 1980s-1990s.