Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group

With broad curved edge, slender neck, round flared socket with lateral wings to each face and round extension on the rear; professionally cleaned, conserved and restored. 482 grams, 17 cm

Very fine condition,

Ex property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

These axes are typical of Baltic workmanship. During this age, the axes were the favourite weapons of many Baltic people, including the Curonian army which included lightly armed soldiers who fought with spears, shields, fighting knives and axes. A heavily armed soldier could also carry a sword, a helmet, a shield, and a wide-bladed axe.

Comprising: five triangular arrowheads with barbed shoulders and rounded midrib; four narrow arrowheads with barbed corners; one foliate arrowhead with rectangular shaft and short tang. 115 grams total, 50-90 mm



Acquired in the 1990s. Ex Abelita family collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Most arrowheads belong to the type V of the Khorasani classification: subtype C and A, arrowheads with triangular shape with barbed shoulders and convex sides, and a raised midrib with a sharp central line. These types of arrowheads were commonly used in Anatolia and Mesopotamia from the 2nd millennium B.C., but apparently their employment began earlier in this area, where types like these occur alongside the non-barbed, predominantly ribbed and tanged types.

Lentoid in form with raised figure of a coiled snake to one face, possible legend to reverse. 31.2 grams, 31 mm



Private collection, Austria. Private collection, Europe. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.