Loading, please wait...
LOT 1508
Greek Bronze Arrowheads with Original Shafts
CIRCA 5TH-3RD CENTURY B.C.
1 3/4 - 2 1/4 in. (19.9 grams total, 45-57 mm).
Comprising four triangular tanged types and one leaf-shaped socketted type, four with original wooden shafts; rare. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Robin Symes Gallery, Mayfair, pre 1999.
From a London, UK, collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Connolly, P., Greece and Rome at War, London, 2006, p.50, fig.8-11, for some of the specimens represented here.
FootnotesMissile troops were not neglected in ancient Greece. In the mid-4th century B.C. Athens, inscriptions list boxes of arrows; in 282, a Cretan coach is recorded as being employed to train Athenian archers, and Sparta too had long since employed Cretan archers. Bow and quiver of great value were often the prize of sport competitions.
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.
-
.jpg)
Marlik Bronze Spearhead
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
With rounded shoulders and square-section mid-rib running to the tip; short tang. 280 grams, 38.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The blade belongs to the type VI of Marlik spearheads according to the Khorasani classification, with a long blade and a short tang, slightly rounded shoulders and pronounced midrib. Such spearheads have been excavated from the Marlik Royal Cemetery by Dr Negahban in Tomb 15, Trench XIII G. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Piriform in profile with narrow point and domed mouth; radiating bands of herringbone design to the upper body, band of annulets below, and four pairs of deep vertical grooves extending from the neck to the base; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 521 grams, 12.2 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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. -
Luristan Bronze Spearhead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Leaf-shaped blade with raised midrib extending to the shaft with a collar, rectangular section tang. 205 grams, 35 cm
Ex North London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
