German WWII Stick Grenade Group

Displaying a corrugated rim above and below; two advancing soldiers, each striding forwards over the headless body of a dead enemy, carrying a severed head in each hand; the soldiers shown bearded and each wearing a pointed and segmented helmet with a recess to accommodate the ears, a cuirass and thigh-length tunic, with a bow over one shoulder and a sword slung from a waist belt; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 72 grams, 10.8 cm wide (277 grams total, 11 cm high including stand)



Ex S. Moussieff collection, London, UK. Acquired from C.J. Martin (Coins) Ltd. 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 no.203209.

Battle-scenes - and especially images where the Assyrians overrun their enemies and achieve outright victory - appear to make up a large part of 'official' art of the period. Subjecting a defeated foe to torture and death is the theme of much of the wall-decoration of the palace of Nineveh. A battle-scene depicting the siege of a walled city shows similarly equipped infantrymen; it is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.55.121.4a, b.

Solid frame, double trigger 54 bore revolver with 15cm (6") barrel, five-shot cylinder bearing London proof marks, hinged left side loading arm screwed to frame with unclear serial number to right frame and marked 'TRANTER' to cocking trigger; foliate engraved frame and chequered wood grip; action working. 975 grams, 29 cm



Acquired from Michael J Noble Ltd, 2015. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the Noble invoice.

Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the Firearms Act, 1968, to be held as a curiosity or ornament. No license required but buyer must be over 18 years of age. Overseas bidders should note that, due to UK regulations governing export of all firearms, overseas buyers will need to make arrangements for shipping this lot out of the UK directly, by air freight, with a specialist company or agent.

Comprising a fine double-edged tapering blade, shallow fullers and defined cutting edges showing traces of employment; short, rectangular-section lower guard and tapering tang, tea-cosy pommel of early type; some restoration. 1.2 kg, 92.5 cm



Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The sword is Petersen type X (Petersen, 1919, pp.158ff) and Oakeshott type XI (1991, pp.53ff.), finding good parallels in various similar Viking and Norman age specimens (Peirce, 2002, pp.115 ff.). The overall proportions of our specimen are eye-catching and it is strikingly similar to a pattern-welded sword found with a large number of other objects, at Camp de Péran, Côtes-d'Armor, France, in a 10th century context, probably linked with the early Norman settlers in Normandy or Norman raids in Brittany (Roesdhal, Wilson, 1992, p.321, cat. n.359; Renaud, 2000, p.100).