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LOT 1880
Greek Bronze Tanged and Rivetted Spearhead
1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
12 5/8 in. (184 grams, 32 cm).
Comprising a triangular blade with a narrow midrib, a short tang with two attachment studs in situ.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Negahban, E., Weapons from Marlik, Berlin, 1995, plate IX, no.117; Khorasani M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, item 283, for type.
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
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LOT 1880
Greek Bronze Tanged and Rivetted Spearhead
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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Very Large Iron Age Celtic Iron La Tene Socketted Spearhead
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Extremely long, slender leaf-shaped blade with a median rib, rounded tip, short shoulder, and a socket with lateral holes to accept a fixing peg. 819 grams, 73 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Piriform in profile with a domed mouth and a stepped neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 505 grams, 15.7 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s.
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. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Piriform body with domed filler hole, impressed circumferential bands on the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 718 grams, 16 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s. 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'.
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.
