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LOT 0307
Medieval Bronze Sword Pommel
CIRCA 14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 5/8 in. (119 grams, 39 mm).
Hollow-formed spherical pommel with rectangular slot to the underside to accept the tang, and smaller slot above to accommodate the piebed end; segmented outer face with alternating plain and pointillé surfaces. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Suffolk, UK.
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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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, the upper body decorated with radiating vertical bands with deeply incised dots; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 435 grams, 11.1 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.
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. -
Chinese Chou Bronze Spearhead
4th-3rd century B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
With thick midrib, leaf-shaped blade with lateral spurs, deep tubular socket with fastening hole for the attachment to the wooden shaft. 250 grams, 32 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
The Chou chariot carried three crewmen, a driver, an archer on the left and a man armed with spear or dagger-axe on the right. The long spears were in bronze until the 300 B.C., when the Chou warriors began to adopt steel spearheads, 'as sharp as a bee's sting'. -
Old Babylonian Bronze Arrowhead Collection
1800-1500 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £624
Comprising paddle-shaped arrowheads with a flat, comparatively wide mid-rib. 171 grams total, 53-78 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.
These kind of arrowheads were typical of the Old Babylonian Empire. The shoulders were pronounced and the arrowhead had a rectangular-section tapering tang. This simple form was popular throughout and show comparative common finds in the Bible Lands.
