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LOT 1863
Luristan Bronze Spearhead
EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
16 5/8 in. (643 grams, 42.2 cm).
Foliate blade with a central rib and slender shoulders, short rectangular shaft and tang with a bent finial. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron, ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, no.176, for the type.
FootnotesA number of similar blades, some considered to be spearheads and others to be daggers, all with a bent tang, derived from Tepe Hissar Culture III. Some of them, like our specimen, have a button terminal, and some others have a plain, pointed terminal. The general dating of these specimens is fixed to the early 2nd millennium 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:
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Luristan Bronze Socketted Axehead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With a triangular tapering blade and a flat cutting edge, oval socket. 997 grams, 17 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Greek Lead Slingshot Group
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising three lentoid-section bullets. 87 grams total, 27-37 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Greek Lead Slingshot with Inscription and Bee
3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Lentoid-section and depicting a bee to one side and the inscription 'ΚΑΛΑ' on the other. 30.4 grams, 31 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The slingshots with an inscription ΚΑΛΑ are believed to originate from the island of Rhodes. On these sling bullets, ΚΑΛΑ should be translated as “nice things.” Together with the Balearic slingers, Rhodian slingers were considered to be the best of the Hellenistic world, and they were also used in the Roman army.