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LOT 0314
Elamite Bronze Macehead with Winged Human and Animal Figure
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
3 7/8 in. (285 grams, 98 mm).
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.
ProvenanceAcquired 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.
See similar typologies of mace-heads or sceptres, Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron, ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, nos.294-295, for the type.
FootnotesMaces 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0314
Elamite Bronze Macehead with Winged Human and Animal Figure
Estimate £1,500 - 2,000€1,740 - 2,320 (for guidance only)$2,030 - 2,700 (for guidance only)
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Viking Iron Sword of Petersen Type L
10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Double-edged cutting sword with tapering blade showing battle nicks along the length, tapering fullers showing shallow traces of pattern-welding, long tang, a boat-shaped lower guard and a three-lobed pommel. 775 grams, 86.5 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.13261-254356.
This type, considered as Anglo-Saxon in origin, is usually dated to 850-975 A.D., and is considered to form a distinctive group of Viking Age swords. Although used by the Vikings, it is probable that these swords were of English manufacture or inspiration. Swords of Type L are remarkable for their crosspieces and pommel bases curved away from the grip and lobed pommels. -
Greek Armour Plate with Palmette
Hellenistic, 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Piriform in plan with convex surface, high-relief repoussé acanthus-leaf palmette; mounting holes at the narrow end, edge chipped. 39.6 grams, 15.3 cm
From the late collection of a Cornish couple, formed from the early 1990s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Bulbous, undecorated body with dome filler hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 670 grams, 12.1 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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.
