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LOT 1883
Antique Wooden Crossbow
19TH CENTURY A.D.
29 1/2 in. (1.38 kg, 75 cm wide).
Carved, stocky body with an iron suspension ring, rope cable and iron trigger. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection, London, UK. (For sale only to bidders of at least 18 years of age. UK buyers only.)
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:
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Elamite Bronze Macehead with Winged Human and Animal Figure
2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Of cylindrical form with a raised collar at each end, one side depicting a nude male with a projecting grotesque head, the other side with a projecting ram's head with a long, curving serpent below, two crescentic wings projecting from the upper part of the socket. 285 grams, 98 mm
Acquired before 1983. Ex London gallery, 1990s. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13258-253387.
Maces in the Middle East had always had a double function since the early periods: a) as a weapon and b) as a status symbol or symbol of rank and office. The bull-headed mace, called gorz-e gavsar in Persian, was already in use in the ancient Elam and Luristan, and was also common in religious ceremonies. -
Greek Lead Slingshot of Alexander the Great, Celebrating him as Invincible
336-323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram 'AB = ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ' (Αlexandrou basileos), a laurel wreath, symbol of victory, on the other side; extremely rare, only two specimens known. 27.48 grams, 32 mm
From a German private collection, formed since the 1980s. Previously property of an Austrian collector, Vienna.
The laurel wreath representing victory is also depicted on, e.g. gold staters of Alexander the Great, held by the goddess Nike. -
Luristan Bronze Axehead
12th-11th century B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £133
A spike-butted axehead with a short cylindrical socket with four furrowed ribs leading to four short spikes, blade with curved upper and lower edges and a convex cutting edge. 390 grams, 22 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
It is difficult to know whether this type of axe, given its high decoration in some specimens, was used as a weapon or was a symbol of rank and prestige, employed for ceremonial or cult purposes. However, considering that the concept of parade weapons did not exist in the surrounding areas in Antiquity, these axes were most probably used for both military and ceremonial purposes.
