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LOT 2023
British Infantry Officer's Sword and Scabbard of John Ernest Pierson
1879 A.D.
39 1/4 in. (1.41 kg, 99.5 cm).
1822 pattern sword comprising a nearly straight slender blade with a lozenge-section tip and shallow fuller, swept 'Gothic' guard with 'VR' monogram in escutcheon; sharkskin cover to the grip; blade with etched tendrils to the fuller, crown over 'VR' monogram on one face and 'JEP' beneath crest on the other; ricasso with maker's name 'Henry Wilkinson, pall mall'; lentoid section scabbard with chape and suspension rings; old collector's handwritten label 'John Ernest Pierson, born Settle, Yorks., son of Revd William Frederick Pierson, 1858; 2nd Lt, 1st batt., Royal Sussex 18.8.79; Lt 2.10.80; Capt. 18.4.85; Major 18.3.96; retired 1902, died 1912, sword issued by Wilkinson, 22.9.7.1879; Present at surrender of Kafr-el-Dower; occupation of Damanhur; Transport Officer, 1st Batt., Nile 1884-5, Desert Column.' [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s.
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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LOT 2023
British Infantry Officer's Sword and Scabbard of John Ernest Pierson
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
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Luristan Bronze Dagger with Integral Handle
Bronze Age, 2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Two-edged triangular blade with a thick median rib, crescentic pennannular guard; grip with integral pommel, socket to each face to accept a bone inlay. 340 grams, 38.5 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
These bronze daggers or dirks, typical of Marlik culture, were cast in a one-piece mould according to Negahban, although in some specimens the penannular guard was cast later into the blade. The separate sets of encircling ribs on the grips are again typical of swords from the Marlik area. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Dagger with Openwork Hilt and Scabbard
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
Comprising a long slender blade with a stepped mid-rib and narrow point, waisted openwork tubular hilt with domed pommel, transverse scaphoid-section guard; narrow sheet-bronze scabbard with flared mouth (cracked); mounted on a custom-made stand. 434 grams total, dagger: 31.2 cm
Acquired on the UK art market, 1990s-2000s. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13464-262414.
The openwork grips of these daggers were created using the lost wax process. The openwork was cut into the original wax, and after casting, it was inlaid with cream-coloured stone, some of which survives. These short daggers were still in use in the Early Median and Achaemenid Periods, between 800 and 600 B.C. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole, two circumferential bands above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 772 grams, 12.2 cm
Ex important collection of weaponry, London, UK, 1980-1990s. 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.
