Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1855
Medieval Iron Caltrop Anti-Cavalry Group
15TH CENTURY A.D.
3 3/8 - 3 1/2 in. (195 grams total, 85-87 mm).
Comprising six caltrops, hand-forged with square-section spikes. [6, No Reserve]
Provenance
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
Literature
Cf. Trapp, Graf, O., & Scalini, M., L'Armeria Trapp di Castel Coira-The Armoury of the Castle of Chuburg-Die Churburger Rustkammer, Fagnana, 1995-1996, p. 297 (vol. 1), for similar medieval German caltrops; Žákovský, P., ‘Caltrop. Contribution to the knowledge of one neglected weapon’ in Studia Minora Facultatis Philosophicae Universitatis Brunensis, M 12-13, 2007-2008, pp.115-132, fig.9, no.1 (type IIIa of Žákovský classification).
Footnotes
P. Žákovský has been able to classify medieval caltrops, mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries A.D., based on their morphology, into four main typologies, each with different variants. Caltrops with single-pointed spikes, whose interpretation, however, is often ambiguous, belong to type I. The other three types represent classic four-pointed caltrops, and individual types in this group differ from one another just in their cross-section.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Greek Lead Slingshot of Alexander the Great
336-323 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram 'AB = ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ' (Αlexandrou basileos), a rayed solar symbol, the so-called Argead Star, on the other side; extremely rare, first known specimen of this type. 28.6 grams, 30 mm
From a German private collection, formed since the 1980s.
The Argeads were an important Greek dynasty ruling over ancient Macedonia, with Alexander as the most prominent member of the royal house of the Argeads. The rayed solar symbol (Argead Star, Vergina Star) is interpreted as the historical royal symbol of the ancient Macedonian Dynasty of the Argeads, with its most famous member, Alexander the Great. Cf. a similar slingshot in the Musée du Louvre (INV 1497), acquired by the museum in 1825. -
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. -
Bactrian Bronze Decorated Socketted Axehead
Bronze Age, 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Comprising a short tubular socket with flared neck to the angled blade; incised herringbone ornament to both faces flanked by pounced triangular panels in bilinear bands, 104 grams, 11.6 cm
From an old English collection formed since 1960.
