Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1415
North-Western Persian Type Bronze Blade
EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
13 in. (99 grams, 33 cm).
With tapering triangular blade, having straight shoulders, flat midrib and tapering square-sectioned tang ending with a rounded pommel.
Provenance
Acquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Literature
Cf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 1, London, 2002, item 31, p.34.
Footnotes
Moorey, Gordon and Khorasani created a classification of bladed weapons, according to which daggers are edged weapons not greater than 36cm in length, dirks (short swords) are between 36cm and 50cm in length, and swords are edged weapons greater than 50cm in length.
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
-
Viking Age Iron Bearded Axehead
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
With triangular-section narrow blade widening to a broad bevelled edge and square chin, flared socket. 221 grams, 11.1 cm
From the collection of a Californian, USA, gentleman, dating back to the late 1960s.
The more commonly used weapons of the Finno-Ugrian people were axes, commonly found in all Finnic areas, as well as spears. Iron axeheads of this typology show a sub-trapezoidal asymmetrical blade, often perforated through the centre. -
Bactrian Bronze Claw Axehead-Mace
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Egg-shaped with spiked sleeves or prongs, the top of the weapon with a narrow edge, the sleeves with small internal tangs for mounting. 127 grams, 10.1 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
The 'claw mace' was an enigmatic ancient bronze weapon from the Bronze Age Near East. The hollow bulbous head was trailed by tines of varying lengths. It is believed that it was affixed over a wooden shaft and used like a club in combat, and not necessarily used as ceremonial weapon. The knife edge bulb end could have broken bones and proven to be a formidable striking weapon requiring no skill to wield. The tines would have not only been decorative, but have served to add strength below the striking end to prevent breakage. In battle, maces were often used by commanders to display rank when giving orders in battle and leading soldiers, inspiring leadership and power. -
Hellenistic Rhodian Lead Slingshot with Scorpion
3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Lentoid-section and depicting a stylised scorpion to one side and inscription 'ΚΑΛΑ' on the other. 26 grams, 31 mm
Ex Cummings collection, UK, 1990s.
Together with the Balearic slingers, Rhodian slingers were considered to be the best of the Hellenistic world, and they were also used in the Roman army. The slingshots with an image of a scorpion on one side and with an inscription ΚΑΛΑ on the other are believed to originate from the Island of Rhodes. On these sling bullets ΚΑΛΑ should be translated as “nice things.” Of course, ironically, these “nice things” were designed to kill enemies and to sting like a scorpion, and the message of those with the image of a scorpion could be understood, as proposed ny M. Manov and N. Torbov, as: “nice things sting like a scorpion.”
