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LOT 1506
Large Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead and Dagger Collection
1800-700 B.C.
4 1/8 - 6 3/4 in. (251 grams total, 10.5-17 cm).
Including mainly triangular and leaf-shaped types of arrowheads, and two small daggers with pierced tang. [7]
ProvenanceEx 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.
See Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, pp.289ff, for similar arrowheads; for the daggers see Maxwell-Hyslop, R., 'Daggers and swords in Western Asia: a Study from Prehistoric Times to 600BC,' in Iraq, Volume 8, 1946, pp.1-65, pl.III, type 27.
FootnotesSmall tanged blades without a rivet, which have sometimes been identified as spearheads, are knives, while the rivetted form could have been used as a dagger or for domestic purposes. Both forms are characteristic of the Hyksos period in Palestine. A curious blade from Byblos (Level 19) represents the earlier form of this type.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1506
Large Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead and Dagger Collection
Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
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Luristan Bronze Dagger Blade
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Triangular double-edged blade with raised midrib and short tang with a rivet in situ. 263 grams, 34.5 cm
Ex North London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Piriform in profile with domed mouth; annulets to the upper body, lower body with vertical lines separated by triple crescents; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 409 grams, 11.4 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. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Collection
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
A group of large tanged arrowheads, mainly of triangular type with some barbed examples. 288 grams total, 6.4-16.9 cm
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.
Although some of them are different in shape, these arrowheads are apparently related types of a polythetic group. Two basic deltoid forms are represented: one has a sharp, flat blade, the ends of which extend to form wings or barbs, and a prominent midrib extending into a long tang that often has a stop; the blade shape varies from deltoid to more triangular. The other form has no barbs, but it has a prominent midrib extending to the tang, and a narrow leaf-shaped blade.
