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LOT 1051
Greek Iron Arrowhead
4TH CENTURY B.C.
4 in. (15.5 grams, 10.2 cm).
Barbed and tanged type with flared shoulder. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK private collection, 1990s.
From the collection of an London antiquarian.
Cf. similar in the British Museum under accession no.1964,0408.8.
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:
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Western Asiatic Tanged Bronze Spearhead
Late 3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Having foliate blade with central rib and slender shoulders, cylindrical short shaft encasing a rectangular tang with a bent end. 151 grams, 26.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
This variant is characterised by a blade of rhomboidal or swollen section, an intermediate part often short widened so as to form a clear stop and a curved bristle at its end, sometimes finished in a button. Most lances are of medium dimensions (23 cm to 36 cm), others are very elongated (more than 50 cm). The best parallels come from Tepe Hissar. Elements of handles found nearby the spearheads in the excavations have made it possible to reconstruct the total length of the weapon (1.40 m). -
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; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 434 grams, 12.4 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Greek Fragmentary Bronze Pilos Helmet
5th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,015
Conical in shape, comprising a thick hammered bowl and broad rim with carination to the upper edge; remains of crest at brow and rear; a restoration project. 951 grams total, 1-24.5 cm
Ex Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Germany [1944-2001]. with Hermann Historica, 13 October 2010, lot 2169 [Part].
This type of helmet (called ‘bell-helmet’ by Connolly, 1981, p.70), named pilos after the Greek felt cap (in the Laconian shape, but distinguished from the cap by the noticeable point and the shape of the rim), had a conical shape and was pointed or rounded at the top. Its introduction was linked with the streamlining of Hoplite equipment, and it soon the replaced the closed Corinthian helmet. The helmet was widespread in the Greek and Mediterranean world from the last quarter of the 5th century B.C. and was widely used by continental Greeks, South Italian Greeks and Italic people, Etruscans, and even Romans.
