Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1388
Greek Lead Slingshot
3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.
1 1/4 in. (29.4 grams, 30 mm).
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved legend 'ΑΛ[EXANΔΡΟ]Υ.', the club of Herakles on the other side. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Acquired on the German art market before 2000.
Private collection, Munich, Germany.
Literature
See Akat Özenir, S., ‘Some Inscribed Lead Sling Bullets from Miletos’ in Epigraphica Anatolica 50 (2017), pp. 167–178, nos.19-21, for similar.
Footnotes
The presence of the club of Hercules connects the slingshot with ruling dynasty of Macedonia. Similar slingshots were found in Miletos.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Large Mahogany Telescope with Brass Fittings
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Large wooden barrel with brass eyepiece and inner tube, marked in copperplate script 'T.Harris & Son, London / Day or Night'. 1.05 kg, 55 cm
From the private collection of author and historian Dr DeWitt Bailey, one of the global authorities on the confederate army in the US civil war; thence by descent to his grandson. -
Luristan Bronze Spearhead Blade
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £211
With rounded shoulders and square-sectioned mid-rib running to the blade tip; short tang with fastening hole. 45 grams, 46.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The spearhead belongs to the type VI spearhead of the Khorasani classification. It is characterised by a long blade and short tang, slightly rounded shoulders and pronounced midrib. Similar weapons were excavated by Prof. Negahban in the royal cemetery of Marlik. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Ovoid in profile with scrolled linear decoration and impressed pellets; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 400 grams, 10.7 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.