Cuman Silver Military Sceptre

Longsword of Oakeshott's Type XVIIIa or b, comprising: two-edged, slender lenticular-section piled blade with taper overall to a narrow point; quillons square in section with taper and slight droop to ends; flat-section tang tapering to the upper end; pommel of Oakshott's Type I1 with scooped border to each face, central panel. 873 grams, 99.5 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. 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.13302-257654.

Examples of this category of swords show almost every kind of hilt used during the 15th century, from the classic forms of the 13th century to all the new varieties of pommel and cross which developed after 1400. Because the previous types of swords were practically useless against the fully armoured man-at-arms, Western European warfare needed a sword able to pierce the weak points of the protective equipment, a circumstance that led to the creation of types XV, XVI and XVII that found their quintessence in the type XVIII. The subtypes XVIIIa and XVIIIb had longer blades, and especially the type XVIIIb was a very long-gripped bastard sword.

Comprising a leaf-shaped blade with a midrib and a long tapering socket; accompanied by a display stand. 771 grams total, 44 cm including stand



with Art Ancient, London, UK. Private collection, London.

The spear, belonging to type 3 of the Khorasani classification, was used by chariot fighters to strike each other or the enemy infantry from above. Similar specimens with longer sockets were excavated by Negahban in the Amlash area. According to Moorey, sockets as long, if not longer than the blade, are a characteristic of Iranian spearheads in the late 2nd and early 1st millennium B.C. A similar spearhead from the Tappeh Sialk has been dated to the 9th-7th century B.C.

Comprising a hoop with reserved triangular ornament on the edges and triangular plaque with foliage motifs, raised central panel with frond motif. 22.61 grams, 34.77 mm overall, 25.16 mm internal diameter



Acquired in the 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Archer rings in Late Byzantium and the medieval Balkans were connected with the employment of the powerful composite bow, but very often, in the 14th century they served as insignia of rank for aristocratic noblemen. Archaeological findings of archers’ rings originate mainly from fortified towns, including mining centres. Many were made in bone, simple in design and undecorated. In contrast, the ones made in bronze and silver were usually decorated in rather uniform style, consisting of floral motifs on the head, mostly tulip and foliage, and linear motifs around the edges. This decoration combined Turkish, Central European and Eastern Roman traditional patterns.