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LOT 1825
Greek Slingshot with Snake
4TH-1ST CENTURY B.C.
1 1/4 in. (31.2 grams, 31 mm).
Lentoid in form with raised figure of a coiled snake to one face, possible legend to reverse.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Austria.
Private collection, Europe.
Cf. Manov, M., Torbov, N. Inscribed Lead Sling Bullets with the name of Alexander the Great and with other Names and Symbols found in Thrace in Archaeologia Bulgarica XX, 2 (2016), pp.29-43, fig.14, for a shot with a similar symbol.
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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LOT 1825
Greek Slingshot with Snake
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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Greek Lead Slingshot of Alexander the Great
336-323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram 'AB = ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ' (Αlexandrou basileos), a rayed solar symbol, the so-called Argead Star, on the other side; extremely rare, first known specimen of this type. 28.6 grams, 30 mm
From a German private collection, formed since the 1980s.
The Argeads were an important Greek dynasty ruling over ancient Macedonia, with Alexander as the most prominent member of the royal house of the Argeads. The rayed solar symbol (Argead Star, Vergina Star) is interpreted as the historical royal symbol of the ancient Macedonian Dynasty of the Argeads, with its most famous member, Alexander the Great. Cf. a similar slingshot in the Musée du Louvre (INV 1497), acquired by the museum in 1825. -
Bactrian Bronze Decorated Socketted Axehead
Bronze Age, 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Comprising a short tubular socket with flared neck to the angled blade; incised herringbone ornament to both faces flanked by pounced triangular panels in bilinear bands, 104 grams, 11.6 cm
From an old English collection formed since 1960. -
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Piriform in profile with a domed mouth and a stepped neck, incised decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 406 grams, 15 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s.
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.
