Loading, please wait...
LOT 0339
Amarlu Type Bronze Sword with Mushroom Pommel
LATE 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
20 1/4 in. (598 grams, 51.5 cm).
With solid hilt having a penannular guard, an openwork grip and a conical cast mushroom pommel, the blade with pronounced mid-rib and tapering to a sharp point.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
See typology of such swords in Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran - The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, pp.393-396, cat.31-36.
FootnotesAccording to Moorey, such swords with mushroom pommels originated from North-Western Iran, as proved by Amarlu finds. He dates them to the end of the 2nd millennium B.C., more precisely to a period between 1400-1200 B.C.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Piriform in profile with domed neck, impressed roundels to the foot. 755 grams, 15.5 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. 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. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Piriform in profile with domed mouth, circumferential band of impressed rosettes to the equator. 459 grams, 13 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. 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. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Blade
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
With rounded shoulders and square-sectioned mid-rib running to the blade tip; short tang with fastening hole. 319 grams, 42.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
The Luri people produced a quantity of fine metalwork, which according to Dr Khorasani, could be due to a settled period which arose as a result of the defeat of the Elamites by the Babylonians, leaving the Luristani people in relative peace for a period of time after 1200 BC. According to Khorasani 'A culture of innovation and experimentation flourished, and the repertoire of the Luristan smiths expanded in the period between 1150–1050 BC.'
