Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1513
Anglo-Saxon Iron 'Battle Damaged' Shield Boss and Spear
CIRCA 6TH CENTURY A.D.
6 3/4 - 6 7/8 in. (437 grams total, 17-17.5 cm).
Comprising: ferrous shield boss of Härke & Dickinson's Type 3 with broad flange, deep sidewall with carination and domed cone; flared apex stud; traces of fixing rivets in underside of flange; spearhead of Swanton's Type E2, lenticular in section with elongated lozengiform profile, split socket. [2, No Reserve]
Provenance
Found East Anglia, UK.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. Dickinson, T. & Härke, H., Early Anglo-Saxon Shields, London, 1992, p.14; Swanton, M.J., Spearheads of the Anglo-Saxon Settlements, London, 1973, fig.25.
Footnotes
The distortion to the shield boss appears to have been produced by an impact blow from a sturdy, wedge-section blade, probably an axe.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
LOT 1513
Anglo-Saxon Iron 'Battle Damaged' Shield Boss and Spear
Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
RELATED LOTS
-
Viking Age Bearded Axehead
9th-10th century ADSold for (Inc. bp): £351
A hand-forged side-axehead with square-section socket, broad blade offset with extension to the lower edge. 838 grams, 17 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The axe belongs to the type C of Petersen classification. They are axes of Eastern type, of narrow bearded type, characterised by an almost completely round hole for the shaft, rather than the more triangular or drop shape we see on the western typologies. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Cylindrical body with pointed tip and domed mouth; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 726 grams, 12 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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): £182
Piriform in profile, four raised lugs on the body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 1.46 kg, 19 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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.
