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LOT 1494
Large Luristan Bronze Adze
BRONZE AGE, 2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
6 1/2 in. (462 grams, 16.5 cm).
Short tubular socket with raised ribs, perpendicular rectangular-section blade with convex cutting edge.
ProvenanceFrom a UK collection formed in the 1980s.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Calmeyer, P., Datierbare Bronzen aus Luristan und Kirmanshah II. Datierbare Gruppen (chronologisch geordnet), De Gruyter, 1969, fig.6, p.10, group 2, type A3 a, of the Calmeyer classification.
FootnotesUnadorned weapons, especially axes, adzes, and picks, were made by Luristan craftsmen using simple clay or stone bivalve moulds, into which a core was inserted to form the socket for the shaft. Typically, the metallic composition consisted of a combination of arsenical bronze and copper, together with a small percentage of lead.
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Bulbous body with a tiered base; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 960 grams, 14.8 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s. 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. -
Greek Mauritanian Kingdom Lead Slingshot of King Mastanesosus
Circa 80-49 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. 67.3 grams, 40 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.
This remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century B.C. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic. The inscription in Latin shows the growing influence of Rome at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula. The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting. -
Luristan Bronze Socketted Axehead
Circa 2200-1600 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Curving blade and a tubular socket with decorative collars. 246 grams, 10 cm
From the collection of Martin Doyle, Leverstock, UK, 1980s-2000s.
