Greek Bronze Socketted Arrowhead

Formed with a rounded butt and slightly flared cutting edge; flat in cross-section. 138 grams, 18.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

This type of flat axes appeared in the last phase of the Late Chalcolithic Age. Flat axes without lugs were used as cutting tools or in war. In the later examples the sides of the blades was gradually widening towards the convex cutting edge.

Biconvex body with impressed billeted bands and domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 460 grams, 13.9 cm



From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 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'.

The shape corresponds with a fire grenade in the Kars Museum, no.14.09.2009. 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.

The hilt with conical openwork hollow-cast pommel, grip decorated with horizontal grooves and twisted zig-zag pattern, crescentic guard decorated with waves, long blade with ridged mid-grip. 613 grams, 58.5 cm



Kuizenga collection, the Netherlands, acquired in Utrecht 21 December 1977. with Bonhams, London, 7 December 2023, no.154.

This category of swords has been classified by Khorasani as 'swords with a mushroom pommel' and are usually characterised by a solid-cast hilt with a penannular guard, a ribbed or variously decorated grip and the conical hollow-cast mushroom pommel. Usually the blade is multi-fullered and tapers to a sharp tip. Moorey considers them to be from the end of the 2nd millennium B.C.