Late Roman Iron Axehead

A double-edged spatha with a lentoid parallel-sided blade and pointed tip; evidence of battle nicks on both cutting edges; long tang and traces of wooden scabbard on the blade; signs of damask pattern running along the length of the blade, especially on the upper part; cleaned and conserved. 694 grams, 86.5 cm



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.12919-245174.

Usually the term ‘damascened’ is only used for blades, describing the way in which their individual rods are forged to create a desired pattern effect that remained visible on the surfaces of the finished product (technique B.II.1.2.). The shape and regularity of the pattern was essentially dependent on the number and nature of the individual rods and on the skills of the blacksmith. The scholars differentiate on this basis more or less careful and complicated variants (e.g. striped, diamond, herringbone, angular, rosette, mosaic, etc.), in which the individual rods from different iron lamellae, which are parallel or twisted (torsion pattern-welding), were built up often in connection with each other (technique B.II.1.2.1-2). Combining striped rods that were partially straight and partially twisted - clockwise or counter-clockwise - allowed the formation of a very decorative blade.

Comprising tanged arrowheads, four with large elongated triangular blades and raised midrib, sharp central groove, one triangular type with barbed shoulders and flat socket, one with barbed shoulders and cylindrical stem with handle for the shaft; four with squared shoulders and rectangular stem with handle for the shaft, one with trilobate blade, two with barbed shoulder and flat tang, one with short pyramidal head and cylindrical stem, and another with short tang and long blade with raised midrib. 384 grams total, 5.8-15.7 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.

These arrowheads seem to belong to the type V, subcategory types A, B, C and D according to the classification of Khorasani and Negahban. In the four categories of triangular bronze arrowheads from Luristan, Marlik, and Northern Iran, individuated by Negahban, subtypes C and D of type V are larger arrow or javelin heads, C with barbed shoulders and D with round shoulders. Most of them were cast in moulds.

Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved legend 'ΑΛ[EXANΔΡΟ]Υ.', the club of Herakles on the other side. 29.6 grams, 30 mm



Acquired on the German art market before 2000. Private collection, Munich, Germany.

The presence of the club of Herakles connects the slingshot with the Macedonian Dynasty. Similar slingshots were found in Miletos.