Medieval Socketted Iron Crossbow Bolt Head with Triangle Maker's Mark

Piriform body with vertical ribs, tiered collar, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 435 grams, 16.5 cm



From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards.

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.

Double-edged cutting sword of Petersen Type S or T variant with tapering blade bearing some deep battle scars; boat-shaped straight lower guard and tapering tang; boat-shaped upper guard supporting a massive three-lobed pommel with remains of silver inlay to both sides. 1.07 kg, 92.5 cm



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 a search certificate number no.12039-216430.

These swords were widely used in the Baltic area, to the extent that V. Kazakevicius noticed a variation within the decoration of some Type T swords, creating a Curonian type T, which were most likely of Baltic manufacture (at least the hilt construction). The traces of silver ornaments are not sufficient to determine the type of ornamentation, but the remains are artistically consistent with archaeological examples of decorative work from the geographic region or estimated cultural point of origin, probably Eastern Scandinavia or the Baltic areas.

With pyramidal point, square-section shaft, tubular socket and a pelletted triangle maker's mark. 36.3 grams, 66 mm



Tucker collection, Buckinghamshire, UK; formed in the 1980s. Property of a Kent lady collector.