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LOT 1496
Greek Bronze Cuirass Section of Thorax Stadios
4TH-3RD CENTURY B.C.
13 1/4 in. (465 grams, 33.5 cm).
Left front side of anatomical armour for horseman, embossed left flank muscles embossed, double border of armour under armpits still partially visible. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK private collection, acquired in 1996.
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, fig.p.56, bottom right, for similar.
FootnotesArmour for cavalrymen in classical Greece were specially designed with these characteristics. They were very broad on the hips to enable their wearers to sit on a horse. Important parallels are known from South Italy, one of them preserved in the Bari Museum.
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Viking Silver Inlaid Iron Weight
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Polyhedral weight bearing Insular Style inlaid decoration in the form of serpentine creatures in tondos, on a silver inlaid background. 176 grams, 38 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
These weights were adopted by the Vikings from Middle Eastern examples and appear to have become a typical weight standard for traders. They are, in archaeology, an important form of evidence for the Viking commerce. Many of them, like those found in Ireland and of Arabic type, suggest a standardised system of weights in different areas. -
Viking Iron 'ULFBERH+T' Silver and Laten Inlaid Sword
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
A double-edged Petersen Type X sword, tapering blade with shallow fullers and wide cutting edges, the fuller bearing an inlaid inscription of 'ULFBERH+T' to one side and remains of 'II IXI' (or an interlace pattern) to the other side; the lower and upper-guards, as well as the pommel inlaid with vertical lines of silver and copper, the pommel of tea-cosy type divided into section with well-marked lines. 1.1 kg, 98 cm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. 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. 12617-235587. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Large Levantine Crescentic 'Anchor' Axehead
Middle Bronze Age, late 3rd-early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,560
An anchor-shaped semi-circular blade, semi-elliptical in section, narrow socket with a long extension to the rear. 557 grams, 11.1 cm
Previously in a London, UK, collection, 1970s. Ex Rabi Gallery 1991. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The ‘anchor’ axes belonged to a homogeneous type of axe, similar to the fenestrated axes, but displaying a different hafting method. The handle was inserted into a short cylindrical collar except at the back, where it extended to a width roughly equivalent to that of the blade. The two ends of the blade widened to form a concave face resting against the handle, thus ensuring a firm support. The edges of the fenestrelles were prominent and sometimes have decoration. At the back of the collar, there was always a spherical or flattened knob. The function of this knob can only be conjectured: it seems too small to serve as a counterweight, hence it was probably an element used to wind the handle's attachment cord.
