Loading, please wait...
LOT 1789
Luristan Bronze Socketted Adze-Axehead
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
6 1/2 in. (675 grams, 16.5 cm).
Short tubular socket with thickened rim, perpendicular short blade with convex cutting edge to the rear, and a larger triangular-section blade with curving blade to the front.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 2004, items 21,34.
FootnotesThe earliest axes-adzes from the 3rd millennium B.C. were weapons and tools furnished with socket holes. Usually, the socket is a more secure way of attaching the object to a wooden haft than having a simple tang. These weapons developed into a plethora of forms in the 2nd millennium B.C., and the numerous new forms were used until at least 800 B.C.
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.
-
.jpg)
Urartian Bronze Helmet with Embossed Decoration
9th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
A Caucasian or Urartian helmet of domed profile, hammered from a single sheet of metal; radiating rows of small repoussé bosses with interstitial rows connecting larger examples; shallow recess at the forward edge; old accession label to inner face 'AG334'; later pseudo-inscription; some restoration. 1.5 kg total, 41 cm including stand
Ex Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Germany [1944-2001], AG 334, 1990. with Hermann Historica, Munich, Germany, 2008. Private collection, New York, USA. 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 number no.13262-254403.
The Urartian craftsmen were especially famous for their metalworking skills. However, the shape of this helmet differs considerably from the usual pointed Urartian examples, and shows a strong influence from the Scythian and Moeotic military headgear, which is not surprising if we consider that Urartu had been at war with the Scythian tribes of Caucasus since the 7th century B.C. The remainder of the helmet is its bowl, embossed and decorated, and an unusual recess on the front part. The helmet was used with a padded cap, which probably formed an integral part of the same headgear. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Triangular in plan with a broad, flat-section midrib, broad tip; rounded shoulders with a short pierced tang. 310 grams, 40.5 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead Collection
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Mixed group of tanged arrowheads, nine with barbed shoulders, two with lanceolate heads, three with triangular heads, one spiked and one with a pyramidal head. 159 grams total, 4.2-10.3 cm
London, UK, collection, 1990s.
The majority of the arrowheads belong to type IV of the Khorasani classification. They resemble a stylised flying bird, such as a swallow.
