Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 1352

Heavy Western Asiatic Bronze Axehead

LATE 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.

5 3/4 in. (741 grams, 14.5 cm).

With swept blade, large socket with shallow raised circumferential rib and a vertical rib to the rear.

Provenance

Acquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.

Literature

For similar examples of axes see Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003), pl.XX, no.44 (Mundigak, layer III, third quarter of the 3rd millennium B.C.).

Footnotes

In the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C., the most widespread types of axes were those made for splitting and those for cutting. In the last third of this millennium there emerged a sharp differentiation between such axes. Such a sharp division by function should be associated with the influence of the Syro-Palestinian tradition. Such differentiation, in the absence of some multifunctional forms, can be observed from the end of the 4th millennium B.C. and during the 3rd millennium B.C.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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.

LOT 1352

Heavy Western Asiatic Bronze Axehead

Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • 100 Civil War Period Lead Musket Balls
    100 Civil War Period Lead Musket Balls
    Circa 17th-18th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £33

    Mixed group of lead-alloy musket and carbine balls, some with casting seam and sprue nipple. 1.74 kg total, 9-19 mm



    Found Hertfordshire, UK.

    Lot Details

  • Luristan Horse Bit with Animals
    Luristan Horse Bit with Animals
    Early 1st millennium B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £117

    Comprising a pair of gryphon-shaped cheek-pieces with a hole through the body for the straight mouthpiece with looped terminals. 475 grams, 18.5 cm



    UK private collection before 2000. UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.

    Lot Details

  • Byzantine Greek Fire Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
    Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
    9th-11th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £176

    Piriform body with thick ribs to the shoulder and impressed panels between, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 708 grams, 15 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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list