Loading, please wait...
LOT 1553
Greek Lead Slingshot with Monogram
3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.
1 1/4 in. (30.6 grams, 33 mm).
Lenticular type with casting seam to the rim, raised monogram (caduceus?) on one side. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Schinco, G., Small, A.M., 'A previously unknown siege of Botromagno/Silvium: the evidence of slingshots from Gravina in Puglia (Provincia di Bari, Puglia)' in Papers of the British School at Rome, 2019, pp.1-52, figs.7-8-9, 37 (type Volling IIb); for a bullet with caduceus see Tsaravopoulos, A., 'Inscribed sling bullets from "Kastro" in Antikythera (Greece), in Gdanske Studia Archeologiczne no.2, Gdansk, 2012, pp.207-220, fig.10d.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising fourteen tanged arrowheads, mainly barbed types. 273 grams total, 6.7-16.5 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. -
Medieval Bronze Dagger Pommel
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Lentoid in section, brazil-nut type with vertical slot to accept the tang. 79 grams, 38 mm
Found UK. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Large bulbous body and a domed filler-hole, two circumferential bands above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 743 grams, 13.4 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.
