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LOT 1395
Medieval Iron Incendiary Fire Arrowhead with Pierced Cross
CIRCA 12TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
4 34/ in. (37 grams, 12.1 cm).
The wide blade with an incised cross motif, pierced through at the end of each arm, long tang with a collar.
ProvenanceAcquired on the French art market.
From the private collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman.
The central void was included to allow cloth soaked in tallow to be bound around the arrowhead; this was ignited before shooting.
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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LOT 1395
Medieval Iron Incendiary Fire Arrowhead with Pierced Cross
Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
-
Elamite Spiked Bronze Macehead with Bulls
Late 2nd-early 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
With three adjoining bull heads in high relief to the top, with three ears and three horns serving all the three heads; the horns curving towards the rim of the the closed top; the shaft adorned with vertical rows of pointed spikes; hollow socket tube with ring collar at the base. 349 grams, 14.5 cm
with a London, UK gallery, 1971-early 2000s. 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.11997-22061. -
Greek Bronze Arrowhead Collection
Circa 5th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Including triangular-section sockettedtype, triangular barbed type, tanged leaf-shaped type and others. 104 grams total, 23-58 mm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, the body decorated with vertical palm leaf motifs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 300 grams, 10.1 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.
