Loading, please wait...
LOT 1061
Luristan Sword Blade with Blood Channels
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
16 1/4 in. (422 grams, 41.5 cm).
A substantial bronze leaf-shaped blade with raised midrib extending to a short tang, ribbed fullers with curved ends extending to the shoulders.
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1990s.
With a London, UK, gallery.
Property of a London collector; from her family's private collection.
See Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, s. cat 31, for type.
FootnotesThe metalworking techniques used in making bronze weapons in Luristan were very complex. Surfaces were often finished in repoussé work, and some of the weapons were chased, others engraved.
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.
-
Western Asiatic Tripartite Spearhead
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £102
A leaf-shaped blade with prominent midrib, square-section tang with expanding bent finial. 310 grams, 34 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Luristan Horse Harness Cheekpiece
11th-8th century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
A bronze cheek-piece element in the form of a righthand side bar, surmounted by two loops for additional straps, ending in a lion's head at the front, the other extremity bending outwards and ending with a conical tip, remains of the iron bar visible on the sides; once belonging to an articulate bit. 130 grams, 13.5 cm wide
Fine condition.
Acquired mid 1980s to early 1990s. Private family collection formed in London, UK.
The association of Psalia in the shape of a bar and with an articulated bit is documented in Assyria, in Media and in central Iran starting from the 10th century B.C., but the zoomorphic elements of this specimen suggest that it was produced in Luristan. The use of articulated bits, which moved inside the horse's mouth, exerting a minimal pressure on the reins, allowed for better control of the mount. -
African Yaka Sword with Scabbard
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
An iron sword with leaf-shaped blade decorated with a simple punched line punched and zig-zag ornament; the hilt partially covered with leather with stitched junctions, twisted iron wire 'cage' and elongated iron pommel; accompanied by a fragmentary wooden leather-covered sheath with spatulate end. 684 grams, 70 cm long
Acquired locally by donation. Property of Sense Charity, Cambridgeshire, UK.
The Yaka are an African ethnic group found in the south-west of the DRC, with the Angolan border to their west. The Yaka people were historically known for their excellent diplomatic and military abilities which enabled them to found the Yaka kingdom in the 17th century. One of their distinctive weapons was a long, straight sabre which developed into an increasingly elaborate style during the 19th and 20th centuries A.D.
