Loading, please wait...
LOT 1108
Byzantine Iron Horse Bit
14TH-16TH CENTURY A.D.
7 3/4 in. (340 grams, 19.5 cm).
Composed of arched openwork shanks with looped terminals; one end fitted with large hoops and bar between; one end with a tripartite mouthpiece comprising two collared bars connected by a central hoop; Byzantine or early Ottoman.
ProvenanceCollection of Dr. Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke (1928-2017), author of ‘Schmuck Aus Drei Jahrtausenden’ and who became the director of the Museum of Klingenmuseum in Solingen, Germany, in 1968; the collection was formed in the early 1960s.
From an important private Dutch collection.
See Витлянов, С., Старобългарското въоъжение (The Old Bulgarian Armament), София, 1996, fig.1, pl.XXIV and fig.5, for an identical example.
FootnotesThis type of horse bit is visible on one of the most important equestrian artworks of the 15th century - the Cappella dei Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli, a painting representing the Three Kings visiting Christ, depicted in costumes belonging to the early quarter of 15th century. All the cavalrymen in the artwork had heavy curb-bits (with short and curved shanks, as in our specimen) and heavy, single reins.
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.
LOT 1108
Byzantine Iron Horse Bit
Estimate £250 - 350€290 - 410 (for guidance only)$340 - 470 (for guidance only)
-
Roman Marble Ballista Catapult Shot
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Suitable for use with an onager or other catapult-type siege weapon; with smooth surface. 1.4 kg, 10 cm
Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector.
The operation of the onager (Latin for 'wild ass') is first mentioned in 353 A.D. by Ammianus Marcellinus in his Res Gestae and more fully in Vegetius's Epitoma Rei Militaris probably written in the reign of Emperor Theodosius I (378-395 A.D.). -
European Savoyard Burgonet
Circa 1620 A.D.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,389
Comprising a full face shield with broad wavy bars and a small mouth opening, a wide hinged visor; the visor and the front section of the helmet secured by large hook-and-eye closures on the right-hand side; the crown with a tall ridge running from front to back, small collar for protecting the neck. 1.14 kg, 25 cm high
Acquired from Andrew Bennett in 2016. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a payment confirmation from Andrew Bennett, dated 1st June 2016. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no. 11768-203986.
This variation of the burgonet helmet is thought to have originated in the Savoy region of southeast France, and was very popular with heavy cavalry (Reiters) serving with a variety of Continental armies of the period. The term Savoyard is a reference to a large number of these helmets that the Swiss captured from the troops of the Duke of Savoy during an unsuccessful assault on the city of Genoa in 1602. The undulated bars and the small mouth of the visor are all indicative of the Savoyard style. The hinges on the side allowed the front of the helmet as a whole to be lifted away from the rear, aiding the wearer to place it over his head. -
English Civil War Helmet
Mid 17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Of Dutch lobster-tailed pot type, the neck-guard composed of four articulated sections; wide brim with a movable nasal-guard; tongue-shaped cheekpieces with ventilation rosettes and five bosses around the raised perimeter; the cheek-pieces re-attached. 1.54 kg, 26 cm
with Peter Bunting Antiques. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of Peter Bunting invoice.
The capeline or taschetto (capeline in English, derived from the word that in French indicates the hat) was a particular type of helmet widespread in Western Europe in the 17th century. It was a variant of the szyszak helmet used by the cavalry forces of the Ottoman Empire and Muscovy, as well as by the winged hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the post-Renaissance era. The helmet was mainly used by armoured cavalrymen in various European armies of the 17th century, and it was one of the typical helmets of the Thirty Years' War.