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LOT 1034
Elamite Bronze Macehead
EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
9 in. (449 grams, 23 cm).
Of tapering cylindrical form with flange to socket, the upper body displaying vertical columns of chevrons between plain bands.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 56.102.1, for very similar; see Godard, A., Les Bronzes du Luristan, Paris, 1931, pl.XIX, no.58, for a similar mace; see also Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 1, London, 2002, p.24, nos.18-19; Khorasani, M. M., 'Bronze and iron weapons from Luristan' in Antiguo Oriente: Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente, 7, 2009, fig.8.
FootnotesThis gorz mace head belongs to the category of truncheon-shaped mace-heads, a type developed on the Iranian plateau during the Bronze Age, used by Elamite and Luristan warriors since the 3rd millennium B.C. This category of objects was also interpreted as a part of a shaft or cudgel, but most scholars agree on the interpretation of use as a mace.
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Medieval Schiavonesca Type Iron Sword with Inlay
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,600
Comprising a broad, double-edged blade with rounded tip, shallow central fuller to the upper third of both sides; flat guard with stepped central panel, D-section arms formed in a horizontal S-curve, 'cat's head' truncated type pommel with an integral central boss to both faces; the tang with a sword-shaped stamp, the blade with an inlaid three-armed workshop mark and another stamp, including a V surmounted by a cross. 1.37 kg, 1.18 m
Restored and protected with a possible vertical suspension in acid solution, on the blade traces of delamination and flaking along the pattern-welds, some corrosion damages but in general very good condition.
From an English collection, acquired 1990s. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11771-203963.
The Schiavonesca sword was used by Dalmatian mercenaries serving in the Venetian state armies, and were produced by the workshops of the Serenissima to which the marks probably belong. Many of these swords were produced in Dubrovnik, a Croatian city under the Venetian rule. Dr Aleksić mentions the swordsmith Radonja Vukotić, who made an agreement with blacksmith Andrija Miletin at the beginning of September 1436, to produce swords together in the following year. -
Royal Navy Rating's Cap
Dated 1942 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Standard British naval issue dark blue rating's cap with Toronto maker's ink stamp and date inside, fitted with black fabric 'H.M.S.' ribbon and chin-strap. 196 grams, 25 cm
Acquired from The Historic Flying Clothing Company, 2014. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a previous invoice. -
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Medieval Iron Kidney Dagger
Late 15th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
Featuring a wedge-shaped blade and a lobed handle; the hilt fitted with an iron plate bending down to form points on each side of the blade, pommel with a discoid brass plate decorated with an incised flower motif. 307 grams, 46 cm
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
The term 'ballock dagger' was used in medieval times to describe a dagger with a grip bearing a considerable resemblance to a phallic symbol. It was also called 'kidney dagger' during the Victorian times. The constant characteristic is the presence of two roundish and symmetrical bulbs at the guard, with the grip itself emerging upward between them and flaring slightly towards the top, sometimes being surmounted by a cap.
