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LOT 1407
Luristan Bronze Horse Bit with Animals
CIRCA 11TH-7TH CENTURY B.C.
6 7/8 in. (690 grams, 17.5 cm wide).
Comprising a pair of ram-shaped cheek-pieces with a hole through the body for the straight mouthpiece with looped terminals.
ProvenanceFrom a collection formed in Paris in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. similar horsebits in Moorey, P.R.S., Ancient Bronzes from Luristan, London, 1974, pls.VI-VII; Musee' Cernuschi, Bronzes de Luristan, enigmes de l'Iran Ancien, IIIe-Ier millenaire av. J.C., Paris, 2008, pp.110ff, nos.68ff, for similar types.
FootnotesThe horse bits were transformed by Luristan people in to expressions of applied art. Metalworkers employed animal motifs, both realistic and imaginary, for their cheek-pieces. The question of whether these horse bits were for real use or only for use in a funerary context is superfluous, as signs of wear have been documented, and the goads and loops on interiors are functionally designed. The use of such horse bits is clearly documented in Assyrian reliefs of the time of Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.).
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1407
Luristan Bronze Horse Bit with Animals
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Piriform body with horizontal bands to the shoulder, flanged collar, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 458 grams, 18 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards.
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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Luristan Spearhead Group
8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Comprising: long slender javelin head with rectangular-section tang; lentoid-section parallel-sided blade with broad tip and sturdy tang. 226 grams total, 24.2 - 29.5 cm
with a London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s. -
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Migration Period Iron Sword with Bronze Pommel
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
A spatha with a double-edged parallel-sided blade, battle nicks to both cutting edges; long tang with a fastening rivet in situ; small trapezoidal bronze pommel. 707 grams, 91 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 a search certificate number no.12040-216429.
The spatha, often with an elegantly decorated hilt with golden elements, was characterised by a relatively light handle so that the centre of gravity of the weapon was moved towards the tip. The evolution of the 'barbarian' long sword in the west, during the invasions, began around the 5th century.
