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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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Western Asiatic Polished Stone Macehead
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Ovoid body with circular socket. 435 grams, 86 mm
From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman, 1990s. -
Greek Lead Slingshot with Inscription
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Lenticular type with casting seam to the rim, raised 'AΓΟΡΟΥ' legend (genitive for Agouros = immature, unripe). 32.7 grams, 31 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Sometimes the bullet carries a joke for the enemy. Here, the bullet bears the inscription ‘immature’, signifying that the enemy will receive not a nice fruit to eat, but an unripe fruit, a fruit he never wants to get. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Ovoid in profile with domed filler hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 370 grams, 10.4 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'.
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.
