Loading, please wait...
LOT 1577
Bactrian Silver Macehead with Interlaced Dragons
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
7 7/8 in. (440 grams total, 20 cm including stand).
Hollow-formed with bulb finial, low-relief image of opposed dragons with detailed scale texture; circumferential band with incised guilloche below; rim chipped; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceLondon, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
Private collection, London, UK.
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.
-
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Piriform, undecorated body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 455 grams, 15 cm
From a specialist collection, London, UK, 1990-2000s. 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. -
Luristan Bronze Socketted Spearhead
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
With a broad leaf-shaped blade, a triangular mid-rib and a tapering tubular socket; accompanied by a display stand. 382 grams total, spearhead: 23.1 cm (31.2 cm including stand)
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
The spear belongs to the type VIII classified by Khorasani (spearheads with well-projecting midribs and long folded sockets) and more specifically to subtype C (with leaf-shaped blade and short hollow socket). Usually, the willow-leaf blade has an almost straight shoulder base and a wide, flat midrib tapering towards the point. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Mainly barbed and tanged types. 280 grams total, 6.3-16 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.
