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LOT 1840
Luristan Bronze Tanged Lancehead
800-600 B.C.
12 1/4 in. (239 grams, 31 cm).
With a tapering rectangular-section blade and a short tang.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Mahboubian, H., Art of the Ancient Iran, London, 1997, no.398a, for a similar spearhead, although socketed.
FootnotesThese shoulderless spearheads are introducing the Luristan and Hamadan in the Median and Achaemenid Periods. The bronze type was cast in a mould, and the length suggests it was a throwing weapon or used in conjunction with a chariot.
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AUCTIONS:
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Luristan Bronze Spearhead
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Foliate blade with a central rib and slender shoulders, short rectangular shaft and tang with a bent finial. 643 grams, 42.2 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
A 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. -
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Piriform in profile with a domed mouth and a stepped neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 505 grams, 15.7 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s.
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. -
Viking Age Iron Bearded Axehead
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
With a broad, curved blade and a narrow neck, a round socket with an extended edge to the reverse. 358 grams, 15.1 cm
Ex North American collection, 1970s-1980s.
