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LOT 1044
Luristan Bronze Dagger
14TH-10TH CENTURY B.C.
10 1/2 in. (156 grams, 26.5 cm).
A bronze dagger with lentoid-section two-edged triangular blade, rounded lower guard, columnar grip and domed pommel with six radiating spokes and void between.
ProvenanceEx S. Motamed collection.
with Bellman's Auctions, 20th-26th June 2015, lot 2482.
Property of a London gentleman.
Cf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, item 7, for type.
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
A ceramic vessel with a piriform body and domed mouth, two incised rings to the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 470 grams, 10.2 cm
Previously in a private collection since the 1990s. Property of a Sussex, UK, teacher. 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'.
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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Western Asiatic Flanged Macehead
Late 3rd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
A cylindrical bronze macehead with five D-shaped flanges to the circumference; socket to base. 131 grams, 80 mm
Early 1990s London collection. Acquired on the UK art market. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK.
Bronze maces with a long bronze tubular sleeve appeared in Mesopotamia from the last third of the 3rd millennium B.C., apparently being of Palestinian origin. This type of mace was then spread to Elam and from there to India. -
Large Medieval Iron Axehead
15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
A substantial hand-forged iron axe with D-section socket and broad offset blade, fixed with three nails to the iron handle. 2.3 kg, 33.5 cm
Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector.
The axe corresponds to the type XII of the Glosek classification. The type is known from Poland and Sweden. However, very often these axes were found without context, and generally classified as 15th century A.D. While the axes from Sweden are regarded as weapons, and dated 14th century A.D., the long and thickened back of the axe is rather characteristic of a butcher's axe, or of an executioner's axe.
