Loading, please wait...
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.
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 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)
-
Luristan Bronze Tanged Lancehead
800-600 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
With a tapering rectangular-section blade and a short tang. 239 grams, 31 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
These shoulderless spearheads are introducing the Luristan and Hamadan in the Median and Achaemenid Periods. The bronze type was cast in a mould, and the length suggests it was a throwing weapon or used in conjunction with a chariot. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead or Javelin Head with Inscribed X
Late 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Leaf-shaped with two cutting edges and a broad point, low midrib, on the face an incised 'X' in a square. 15.17 grams, 11.34 cm
Ex Guttman collection, Germany. with Christie's, 28 April 2004, no.27 (part). Acquired from Bidancient and Artifacts UK, 2009. Ex important collection of Greek artefacts, London, UK.
The letter X has been found in various Semitic/Accadic or even Philistine Inscriptions in the Levant: dated between 13th-10th centuries B.C.: on the Lachish bowl no.1, on the Ruweiseh arrowhead, on a Byblian bronze spatula, on the Ahiram graffito, at Yehimilk. This suggests that the arrow or javelin head has been made in the Levant or the Fertile Crescent. -
Greek Bronze Tanged Spearhead
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With straight shoulders and lozengiform mid-rib running to the blade tip; short tang with fastening hole. 154 grams, 31 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
