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LOT 1528
Greek Mauritanian Kingdom Lead Slingshot of King Mastanesosus
CIRCA 80-49 B.C.
1 5/8 in. (67.3 grams, 40 mm).
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market, early 2000s.
Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.
Cf. AE 1942/43, no. 53; Marion, J., 'Volubilis: balles de fronde estampillées du Ier siècle av. J.-C.,' in BAM, 4, 1960, pp. 488-490; for King Sosus/Mastanesosus, see Encyclopédie berbère 43, 2019, s.v. S80 Sosus (Jacques Alexandropoulos - Gabriel Camps).
FootnotesThis remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century B.C. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic. The inscription in Latin shows the growing influence of Rome at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula. The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1528
Greek Mauritanian Kingdom Lead Slingshot of King Mastanesosus
Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
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Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £90
Comprising a triangular blade with a rounded tip, a flaring neck with incised barleytwist detailing, and a square-section tang with bent tip. 355 grams, 32.2 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Greek Lead Slingshot with Inscription
3rd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Lenticular type with casting seam to the rim, raised legend 'ΛΥΣΙΑ' (commander's name, Lisia) on one side. 39.1 grams, 29 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Bactrian Bronze Claw Axehead
3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Egg-shaped with spiked prongs to the socket, narrow, rounded cutting edge. 165 grams, 11.9 cm
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
The 'claw mace' was an enigmatic ancient bronze weapon from the Bronze Age Near East. The hollow bulbous head was trailed by tines of varying lengths. It is believed that it was affixed over a wooden shaft and used like a club in combat, and not necessarily used as a ceremonial weapon. The knife-edge bulb end could have broken bones and proven to be a formidable striking weapon requiring no skill to wield. The tines would have not only been decorative, but would have served to add strength below the striking end to prevent breakage. In battle, maces were often used by commanders to display rank when giving orders in battle and leading soldiers, inspiring leadership and power. Egg-shaped with spiked sleeves or prongs, the top of the weapon has a narrow edge, and the sleeves have small internal tangs for mounting.
