Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group

Double-action with .44 calibre six-shot cylinder, hinged frame and loading arm with 15cm (6") barrel; marked 'STARR ARMS CO NEW YORK' to left frame, 'STARR'S PATENT JAN 15 1858' to right, numbered 705 to cylinder and 8795/W to front frame; plain wood grip with illegible stamped inspector mark each side; action slightly weak. 1.12 kg, 29 cm



Acquired from Bottomley Antiques & Armour, 2014. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the Bottomley invoice.

Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the Firearms Act, 1968, to be held as a curiosity or ornament. No license required but buyer must be over 18 years of age. Overseas bidders should note that, due to UK regulations governing export of all firearms, overseas buyers will need to make arrangements for shipping this lot out of the UK directly, by air freight, with a specialist company or agent.

Round rifled 90cm (35½") barrel of 11mm calibre with folding rear sight (without slide), bolt action with serial no.52431 to breech; fitted with full wood stock with steel butt cap, trigger guard, sling swivels and fore-end, steel cleaning rod; with correct Gras bayonet inscribed 'M[--] d'Armes de St Etienne 8bre 1878' to back and steel scabbard. 4.8 kg, 1.84 m



Acquired from Czerny's Auctions, Italy, 2019. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of Czerny's invoice and listing.

Sold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the Firearms Act, 1968, to be held as a curiosity or ornament. No license required but buyer must be over 18 years of age. Overseas bidders should note that, due to UK regulations governing export of all firearms, overseas buyers will need to make arrangements for shipping this lot out of the UK directly, by air freight, with a specialist company or agent.

To both lateral faces, the upper face of the blade and the rear of the socket decorated with an interlaced design; slender body with bearded lower edge and curved blade, lateral spurs and rectangular panel to the butt. 282 grams, 14 cm



Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a four page report written by Saxon and Viking specialist Stephen Pollington. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11878-206842.

The style of the design inlaid to the axe is interesting since it evidently owes a great deal to the kinds of Insular Style ornament found in manuscripts of the 8th century in the British Isles. The elegant curves of the narrow tendrils are strongly reminiscent of the zoomorphic elements found in the Lindisfarne Gospels, St Gall Codex and the Book of Kells (Salin, 1935, pp.342-3; Moss, 2018) and the inlaid designs show the characteristic parallel curves found for example on some of the initials in those documents. The tight knot serpentine bodies recalls the similar dense knot found in the Kells manuscript (Salin's figure 731). However, the details of the layout and execution show that the piece is unlikely to have originated in the British Isles.