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LOT 1443
Medieval Iron Broad Axehead with Maker's Mark
CIRCA 14TH-15TH CENTURY A.D.
8 1/4 in. (700 grams, 210 mm).
The socket D-shaped in plan with gently curved rear edge, narrow neck ad swept curve to the blade with forge-welded steel edge; lateral stamped mark. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx private North American collection, California, USA, 1970s-1990s.
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 Arrowhead Group
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Including tanged leaf-shaped and triangular types. 387 grams total, 7-17.6 cm
Ex Ancient art shop, Windsor Gallery, UK, 1990s. -
Medieval Iron Single-Handed Sword
Late 11th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Double-edged tapering blade with rounded point, shallow fuller and a parallel-sided lower guard (cross style 2), the grip gently tapering, discoid pommel of type I with chamfered sides. 1.2 kg, 1.01 m
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. 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.12177-221435.
The sword belongs to the type of ‘war swords’, although it is challenging to establish if it belongs to the type XI or type XII of Oakeshott's classification. It corresponds well with an English sword of type XI kept in the Tower Armoury (Dufty, 1974, plate 2, letter a), found in a peat bog near Newbury; but it also presents many characteristics of swords of type XII: it presents similarity to two swords excavated by Dr Jorma Leppaaho in 1950, from late Viking graves, one having a cross guard identical to our specimen and the other an identical pommel (Oakeshott, 1991, p.69, lett. V and VI); and another similar specimen is (a water find from Denmark) preserved in the Nationalmuseet of Copenhagen. In general the taper of the blade points more to the nature of the XII typology. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
A ceramic missile, piriform in profile with band of impressed rings to the equator and larger ring-and-dot motifs beneath, domed filler-hole above, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 829 grams, 14.6 cm
From a military inspired collection formed from the 1990s. 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.
