Loading, please wait...
LOT 1377
Medieval Iron Horse Snaffle Bit Collection
CIRCA 14TH-16TH CENTURY A.D.
6 7/8 - 7 7/8 in. (467 grams total, 17.5-20 cm).
Two snaffle bits with curb strap ring to each end, mounted on a fabric-covered display board with titling panel. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.
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.
-
Medieval Iron Caltrop Anti-Cavalry Group
13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
A group of ten iron anti-cavalry caltrops, hand-forged with square-section spikes. 599 grams total, 77-96 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
P. Žákovský has been able to classify medieval caltrops, mainly from the 13th to 15th century A.D., on the basis of 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. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, the upper body with a cross-shaped herringbone motif radiating from the filler hole, the space in between the arms with ring-and-annulet motifs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 431 grams, 10.5 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. -
Scythian Bronze Arrowhead Collection
Circa 7th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Each with a slender, lozenge-shaped blade and a socket extending near the tip, base of the socket with a side lug. 126 grams total, 35-62 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman.
In the Greek warfare archery mainly employed Scythians and Cretans for the longer-ranks. Both used composite bows made of wood, horn, bone and sinew. This explains the great range of Scythian arrowheads also found on the Greek sites.
