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LOT 0339
Jin Jurchen Warrior Signed Suit of Iron Plate Armour
JIN DYNASTY, EARLY 13TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/8 - 4 1/4 in. (8.5 kg total, 3-11.1 cm).
A complete suite of rectangular iron plates to form a protective coat; the plates provided with a series of holes close to the long edges by which they were laced together into articulating panels; one plate with inscription in Chinese script recording: 'first month of the Datong era / control of the propagation of Armour. Yanhui'. [894]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
Accompanied by a positive archaeometallurgy report by Dr Brian Gilmour PhD, Dip Cons, FSA, FCIFA, FRMS.
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 a search certificate number no.12051-216403.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Thordeman, B., Armour from the battle of Wisby, 1361, Malmo, 1939 (London, 2001), pp.245-264; Artemyeva, N., Prokopets, S., ‘Defensive weapons of the Jurchen warrior’ in Russian Archaeology, No. 1-2012, pp.129-142.
FootnotesThe Datong Era (大同, 1224–1233) is a name used for the reign of Puxian Wannu, a Jurchen warlord who established the Eastern Xia Dynasty in 13th century China. However, the war with the Jurchen states took more than 30 years: having first invaded the Jurchen borders in 1211, the Mongols finally defeated the Jin Empire only in 1234, while the Eastern Xia fell in 1246.
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LOT 0339
Jin Jurchen Warrior Signed Suit of Iron Plate Armour
Estimate £8,000 - 10,000€9,280 - 11,600 (for guidance only)$10,800 - 13,500 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Piriform in profile with domed mouth, vertical bands of annulets to the upper body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 396 grams, 10.6 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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. -
Greek Bronze Cuirass Section of Thorax Stadios
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
Left front side of anatomical armour for horseman, embossed left flank muscles embossed, double border of armour under armpits still partially visible. 465 grams, 33.5 cm
UK private collection, acquired in 1996. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Armour for cavalrymen in classical Greece were specially designed with these characteristics. They were very broad on the hips to enable their wearers to sit on a horse. Important parallels are known from South Italy, one of them preserved in the Bari Museum. -
Amarlu Type Bronze Sword with Integral Hilt
10th-9th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
With a tapering two-edged blade with raised midrib and scaphoid lower-guard, rectangular tang with three raised collars and raised edges. 461 grams, 50 cm
Missing ear-shaped pommel
Ex London art market, 1980-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The sword belongs to type VII of the Medvedskaya classification, characterised by ear-pommels, unfortunately here lost. These swords, usually found in the Amarlu area, had the handle cast with the blade, and the grip was solid and square, often decorated with horizontal collars.
