Iron Age Celtic Sacrificed Sword and Axehead Group

Composed of arched openwork shanks with looped terminals; one end fitted with large hoops and bar between; one end with a tripartite mouthpiece comprising two collared bars connected by a central hoop; Byzantine or early Ottoman. 340 grams, 19.5 cm

Fine condition.

Collection of Dr. Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke (1928-2017), author of ‘Schmuck Aus Drei Jahrtausenden’ and who became the director of the Museum of Klingenmuseum in Solingen, Germany, in 1968; the collection was formed in the early 1960s. From an important private Dutch collection.

This type of horse bit is visible on one of the most important equestrian artworks of the 15th century - the Cappella dei Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli, a painting representing the Three Kings visiting Christ, depicted in costumes belonging to the early quarter of 15th century. All the cavalrymen in the artwork had heavy curb-bits (with short and curved shanks, as in our specimen) and heavy, single reins.

Featuring wedge-shaped cheeks, a convex cutting edge and rounded terminal. 106 grams, 18.6 cm



UK private collection formed before 2000. Ex North London, UK, gallery.

The flat axe belongs to Type 1, sub-type a.4 of the Çetin-Bilgi classification of flat axes. They have concave-sided blade, rectangular in section, a splayed cutting edge and a narrow butt. The first examples of axe-type weapons appear in the last phase of the Late Chalcolithic Age in the Middle East and Anatolia.

An armet with rounded one-piece skull raising to a roped medial comb, visor, prow shaped upper bevor and bevor attached by common pivots, each secured at the right side by a spring-catch, the visor with stepped centrally divided visor-slit and two gorget-plates. 2 kg, 31 cm high



Acquired on the European art market. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an invoice. 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.11767-203981.

The term armet is generally used to denote a visored helmet of particular construction, one in which large cheekpieces are hinged to the base of the bowl just above the ears and close in front of the chin. From about 1515 A.D., the Germans produced a variant armet where the downward extension of the skull was made much wider, reaching as far forward as the ears. The cheekpieces on this type of helmet opened sideways, on vertical hinges on the edges of this wider neck element.