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LOT 1378
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group
13TH-6TH CENTURY B.C.
2 1/2 - 5 3/8 in. (182 grams total, 64-13.5 cm).
Comprising tanged arrowheads of leaf-shaped and barbed types, most with midribs. [10]
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s.
From the collection of a late Japanese weaponry collector.
See Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,1988, pp.289ff. nos.396,398-400,410,416, for similar arrowheads; Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, items 449, 467, for types.
FootnotesAlthough some of them different in shape, these arrowheads are apparently related types of a polythetic group. There are represented two basic deltoid forms: 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 manifestly triangular. The other form has no barbs, but it has a prominent midrib extending to the tang, the blade narrow and leaf shaped.
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Viking Danish Iron Broad Axehead
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,560
Of asymmetrical profile with reinforced curved cutting edge, triangular-section socket with flanking spurs to upper and lower edges. 370 grams, 18.5 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. -
Arab 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
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Piriform body decorated with concentric circles inside a eight rays pointed star pattern, with domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 610 grams, 11.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. 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'.
The Arabs, following the Roman examples, made great use of these weapons. The efficiency of the weapon appears, for example, from the account of the siege of Akka in 1189, given by the contemporary historian Ibn al-Athir. He tells how the Christians exercised their engineering skill and built mighty beffroys. The situation was hopeless for the defending Arabs until a man from Damascus showed up, because he knew how to produce Greek Fire: ‘To trick the Christians he first threw some vesseIs with naptha and other things, which were not set on fire, upon one of the beffroy’s, and it was without power. The Christians...climbed the top of the beffroy...the man from Damascus waited until the contents of the vessels were spread all over. When the moment came,he threw a new pot, which was set on fire. In a few moments the fire was spread all over, and the beffroy was eaten up by the flames. The fire was spread in such a hurry that the Christians could not manage to climb down from the beffroy. Men, weapons, everything was eaten up by the flames.’ -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising mainly tanged arrowheads including various types of leaf-shaped heads with midribs. 200 grams total, 12-15.3 cm
Acquired 1990s. From the collection of a late Japanese weaponry collector.
The barbed arrowhead seems to belong to the type V, subcategory type C, 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 large triangular arrowheads with barbed shoulders and D with lanceolate shape and rounded midrib. The straight shoulders recalls a Marlik typology (see Khorasani, 2006, p.307, fig.379).
