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LOT 0256
Highly Decorated Caucasian Bronze Helmet
6TH CENTURY B.C.
8 1/4 in. (650 grams, 21 cm wide).
Formed as a domed bowl with a rivetted overlay on the top, a bird of prey finial at the crown with a raised vertical ridge before the beak; extensive decoration on the body comprising annulets, lines, ring-and-dot motifs and pointillé borders, a circumferential border of rectangular panels on the lower part of the helmet, each rectangle divided into four triangular panels with herringbone and ring-and-dot decoration; a short nose-guard beneath the raised ridge, four raised bosses flanking the ridge, depicting apotropaic eyes; the lower rim pierced for the attachment of internal lining.
ProvenanceEx German private collection, M.B., Mainz, 1980s.
Acquired from the above by the current owner.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12902-242697.
Cf. Roaldovich E.V., ‘Helmet of the archaic era from the Krasnodar museum. To the problem of attribution (in Russian)’ in Oriens, no.6, 2021, pp.102-117, for similar helmets of the same typology.
FootnotesThe helmet belongs to a limited series of helmets found in the Caucasus, discovered in archaeological complexes of the Colchis-Koban Culture, adding another chapter to the history of a series of important Caucasian helmets. Its decoration rivals that of a helmet of the Krasnodar Museum, until now the most complete and decorated in this category. All the helmets of this typology were decorated according to a certain scheme, but the present helmet and the one from Krasnodar are richer in terms of symbols and ornaments. The decoration and similarity with other helmets in this series suggest that the present helmet could have been made for the military elite of the North-West Caucasus in Central Caucasian workshops. Most likely, the owner was part of the elite of the local tribes of the North-West Caucasus of the Maeotic circle.
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LOT 0256
Highly Decorated Caucasian Bronze Helmet
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000€46,400 - 69,600 (for guidance only)$54,000 - 81,000 (for guidance only)
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US Confederate Bayonet
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising a tubular socket for fixing to a muzzle of a weapon, with a separate collar, long tapering triangular blade with a raised rib on the underside and 'US' stamp at the base. 320 grams, 52.5 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. -
Greek Bronze Chalcidian-Type Helmet
Circa 5th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £12,000 - 17,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £6,000
Hammered from sheet-bronze, hemispherical dome with a seam at the front and back, the seams secured together with a series of pins, threaded through rivet holes; from the front, a repoussé ridge forming curved brows leading down towards a nasal decorated with four pellets; two small perforations above the right brow and a perforation on either side of the top section; two cheek guards present, a characteristic of the helmet’s type, attached to the helmet with hinges, allowing for easier wear and construction; the cheek-pieces rectangular in shape and curved at the back; a horizontal band of inverted triangles decorating the top of each cheek guard, each pierced towards the bottom, where an inner lining would have been attached, two curved cut-outs behind to accommodate ears; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 1.46 kg total, 48 cm including stand
Previously with the Parthenon Gallery, WC1, London, UK; acquired 2010. From the J.L. collection, Surrey, UK. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12909-244364.
The Chalcidian helmet was a popular type of helmet in the Hellenistic world, particularly in the Greek-occupied region of southern Italy, during the 5th and 4th centuries. However, types have also been found from the mid-6th century BC. It was a lightweight progression from the Corinthian helmet and allowed the wearer better hearing and vision than its older, bulkier Corinthian counterparts. The term ‘Chalcidian’ originates from its frequent depiction on pottery once thought to have come from the Euboean city of Chalcis. This variant of the Chalcidian helmet, featuring hinged cheekplates, is also known as the Lucanian type, as it was used extensively in Lucania. This type of helmet was still in use by the time of Alexander the Great, particularly by the hoplites, heavy infantrymen, and is thought to have developed into the Attic helmet, used well into the Imperial Roman era. -
Luristan Bronze Dagger
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
With lentoid-section blade, tongue-shaped in plan, with integral tapering hilt with flared finial, lateral flanges to accept a panel of bone to each face forming the grip. 138 grams, 29.5 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, early 2000s.
The art of Luristan can be described as the art of nomadic herdsmen and horsemen with an emphasis on the crafting of small, easily portable objects, among these a great number of bronze weapons. The rich and noble aristocrats of the Luristan, Elamites, Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Kassites, went to battle splendidly equipped and wore magnificent bronze armour, using maces, spears and daggers as offensive weapons, alongside spears, bows and arrows.
