Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0322
Iron Age Bronze-Hilted Sword
8TH-6TH CENTURY B.C.
30 3/4 in. (2.2 kg total, 78 cm including stand).
A broad iron sword with tapering blade and rounded shoulders, bronze hilt with crescentic pommel and apotropaic eye motifs to both sides; accompanied by bronze scabbard or baldric elements including a pair of eyelets with suspension loops, four circular appliqués with conical tips and ropework borders, and a scabbard chape with two opposing ibexes; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
Provenance
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
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.12914-245170.
Literature
Cf. Voronov, Yu. N., ‘Weapons of the Ancient Abkhaz Tribes in the 6th-1st Centuries BC’ in Скифский мир., Киев, 1975, pp.218-234, fig.4, no.1, for a similar blade; Gorelik, M.,Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003) in Russian, pl. VI, no.65.
Footnotes
The sword belongs to the Caucasian culture of the Colchis and represents a very rare typology. A similar blade was found together with early Scythian arrows during excavations at Karmir-Blur. A similar combination found at Kulanurkhva’s excavations suggests that the appearance of such blades in Abkhazia is linked to the Scythian campaigns in Near Eastern Asia.
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.
LOT 0322
Iron Age Bronze-Hilted Sword
Estimate £3,000 - 4,000€3,480 - 4,640 (for guidance only)$4,050 - 5,400 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Celtic to Medieval Bronze Ring Collection
1st century B.C.-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising: four rings with decorative bezels; a ring with a keeled faux-twist hoop; a ring-type thimble with pointillé decoration. 18.54 grams total, 18-23 mm
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Similar cast bronze rings were found in the Necropolis of Ruski Krstur, and dated 10th-15th century A.D. -
Iberian Bronze Bull Statuette
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Modelled as a bridled and saddled bull, naturalistically rendered with well-defined facial planes, lending a vivid and expressive character to the figure; the edge of the saddle adorned with a delicate row of incised circles, broad hollowed out hooves. 48.6 grams, 54 mm long
Frank Sternberg collection, Zurich, 1980s. Private collection, acquired from Frank Sternberg in 1992. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss register certificate, dated 29 March 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12729-234223.
The statuette likely served as a votive offering (ex-voto) at a sanctuary or temple, and closely parallels numerous Iberian examples recovered from sacred sites in Alicante, Valencia, and particularly in Andalusia. In Iberian culture, the bull was a potent symbol of strength, virility, and martial power—frequently associated with warrior deities. The inclusion of a saddle and bridle suggests domestication, and it is plausible that such animals, being more docile than horses, may have been ridden or equipped in ritual or ceremonial contexts. -
Celtic Shale Bracelet Fragment
Iron Age, 4th-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Plano-convex in section and curved in profile with polished faces; old collector's label to inner face' Broch / Nordwall / Caithness'. 70 grams, 10.5 cm
From the private collection of a West Midlands lady collector.
