Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History & Coins

Lentoid-section and depicting a bee to one side and the inscription 'ΚΑΛΑ' on the other. 30.4 grams, 31 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

The slingshots with an inscription ΚΑΛΑ are believed to originate from the island of Rhodes. On these sling bullets, ΚΑΛΑ should be translated as “nice things.” Together with the Balearic slingers, Rhodian slingers were considered to be the best of the Hellenistic world, and they were also used in the Roman army.

With a broad, curved blade and a narrow neck, a round socket with an extended edge to the reverse. 358 grams, 15.1 cm



Ex North American collection, 1970s-1980s.

With a long D-shaped blade with a scooped profile and a tubular socket offset at the base. 313 grams, 16 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

Many examples of bronze axeheads are attributed to the Luristan culture and various shapes have been discussed by different scholars. Moorey (1971, pp.39-41) shows similar axeheads, stating that the texts executed on some specimens have shown them made of arsenical bronze, and attributes them to the late 3rd millennium B.C. or 2nd millennium B.C., period in which this alloy was used abundantly.

Short tubular socket with thickened rim, perpendicular short blade with convex cutting edge to the rear, and a larger triangular-section blade with curving blade to the front. 675 grams, 16.5 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

The earliest axes-adzes from the 3rd millennium B.C. were weapons and tools furnished with socket holes. Usually, the socket is a more secure way of attaching the object to a wooden haft than having a simple tang. These weapons developed into a plethora of forms in the 2nd millennium B.C., and the numerous new forms were used until at least 800 B.C.

Comprising a round-section tapering shank developing to the midrib of a leaf-shaped two-edged blade, flange collar, square-section tang and hooked finial. 181 grams, 36.5 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

Slender blade with raised midrib and rectangular-section tang with clubbed finial. 370 grams, 34 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

A certain number of similar blades, some considered to be spearheads and others to be daggers, all with bent tang, derived from Tepe Hissar Culture III. Some of them, like our specimen, have a button terminal, others have a plain, pointed terminal. The general dating of these specimens is fixed to the early 2nd millennium B.C.

With a broad, lentoid-section flat blade, rounded tip, sloping sides, well marked shoulders with wide but short tang. 713 grams, 43.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

The sword finds similarity with a one from the Royal Cemetery of Ur. This is the most primitive form of dagger, consisting of a simple, pointed blade having slightly convex outline shoulders sloping to a short tang which has no rivets, and was probably hafted to wood with bitumen.

Leaf-shaped with two cutting edges and a broad point, low midrib, on the face an incised 'X' in a square. 15.17 grams, 11.34 cm



Ex Guttman collection, Germany. with Christie's, 28 April 2004, no.27 (part). Acquired from Bidancient and Artifacts UK, 2009. Ex important collection of Greek artefacts, London, UK.

The letter X has been found in various Semitic/Accadic or even Philistine Inscriptions in the Levant: dated between 13th-10th centuries B.C.: on the Lachish bowl no.1, on the Ruweiseh arrowhead, on a Byblian bronze spatula, on the Ahiram graffito, at Yehimilk. This suggests that the arrow or javelin head has been made in the Levant or the Fertile Crescent.

Comprising five tanged arrowheads with raised midribs, one with barbed shoulders. 150 grams total, 11.7-15.4 cm



London, UK, collection, 1990s.

One category of the represented arrowheads has a sharp blade, the ends of which extend to form wings or barbs, and a prominent midrib extending into a long tang that often has a stop; the blade shape varies from deltoid to more triangular. Another form has no barbs, but it has a prominent midrib and triangular blade, with a stop at the tang.

Comprising a tapering leaf-shaped blade with a raised midrib and a short tapering tang. 245 grams, 35 cm



Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.

Lentoid in form with raised legend to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. 72.8 grams, 40 mm



Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

This remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century BC. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic. The Latin inscription reflects Rome's growing influence at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula. The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and Neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting.

Comprising a slender rectangular-section blade and an ellipsoid socket with a flared lower edge. 116 grams, 12 cm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.