Loading, please wait...
LOT 1101
Luristan Bronze Short Sword
CIRCA 1000 B.C.
16 1/2 in. (421 grams, 42 cm).
The blade with a tapering profile, triangular in overall form, with slender shoulders, penannular guard with strong midrib, flanged hilt with crenellated grip, widening slightly into a fan-shaped pommel, cracked.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. similar sword in Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, cat.12, for a similar weapon.
FootnotesThese types of short sword or dirks were usually cast in one piece, and the penannular rib in relief was cast on at the same time with the handle of the blade. In some cases, however, the penannular rib was later cast on the dagger, possibly to strengthen a weak point at the junction of hilt and blade. The flanged hilt was originally inlaid with organic material such as bone.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
English Civil War Iron Cannon Ball
1642-1651 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Possibly made for a naval long gun, a 'long nine'. 4.3 kg, 98 mm wide
Found in a churchyard in Derbyshire, UK, before 1950. Acquired from the son of the clergyman that found it, in 2004. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman. -
Byzantine Iron Lamellar Armour Group
Circa 12th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
A Byzantine or Eastern European armour group comprising 138 plates from a klivanion in forty different shapes; originally the plates would have been interlaced and attached to an undergarment to form a compact cuirass. 1.43 kg total, 4-12 cm
Good condition, extremely rare
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 search certificate no.11929-209662.
The lamellar protection was particularly effective when used by mounted troops as it provided not just protection but enabled free movement due to its loose construction. A similar type of armour was already used by the Assyrians in the 9th century B.C. Its use increased in the west during the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. As a result of changes in warfare techniques, where the archer’s role in the initial stages of the battle was of utmost importance, the use of lamellar armour was widespread amongst the Roman army and Germanic peoples. There are various ways in which the present suite of plates could have been assembled, although it was likely a short (thigh-length) form of lamellar armour. -
Post Medieval Stone Grapeshot Ammunition Collection
Circa 17th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Group of spherical grapeshot balls of various sizes. 32 grams total, 14-17 mm
Private collection formed in the 1990s. Acquired from a central London gallery. Property of an Essex gentleman.
