Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0049

Parthian Figural Silver Dagger Hilt

3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.

3 3/8 in. (66 grams, 86 mm).

Formed as a standing male figure with swept back, shoulder-length hair, hands held at the waist; mounting lug below.

Provenance

with a London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s.

Footnotes

This hilt was probably for an acinaces blade, usually 14-18 inches long and used throughout a vast swath of territory encompassing the eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and central Asia, by such diverse cultures as the Parthians, the Medes, the Greeks, and the Scythians.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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.

LOT 0049

Parthian Figural Silver Dagger Hilt

Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Greek Bronze Ring with Bird
    Greek Bronze Ring with Bird
    5th-3rd century B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £33

    The hoop leading to stepped shoulders and an oval-shaped bezel, displaying an incuse bird facing left. 5.49 grams, 23.66 mm overall, 19.10 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)



    UK collection, early 1990s and before. Acquired on the UK art market since the early 2000s. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK.

    Lot Details

  • Hellenistic Gold Amphora-Shaped Pendant
    Hellenistic Gold Amphora-Shaped Pendant
    2nd-1st century B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £390

    Displaying decorative fluting; gusseted suspension loop and handles. 4.49 grams, 23 mm



    From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

    Lot Details

  • Graeco-Roman Megarian Terracotta Cup with Nymphs
    Graeco-Roman Megarian Terracotta Cup with Nymphs
    2nd century B.C.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £208

    Hemispherical in form with decoration in relief featuring fluting alternating with nymphs and symbols beneath an architectural border, cracked and chipped. 257 grams, 11.9 cm wide



    Private Dutch collection, 1970-2010. Ex private Dutch collection, 2010-2018.

    The term ‘Megarian’ bowl applied to this type of pottery is a modern convention for academic purposes. The name ‘Megarian’ was first given to this type of mould-made relief bowl in the late 19th century, because some of the first known examples were said to have come from the city of Megara. In reality, such terracotta items originated in Athens in the 3rd quarter of the 3rd century BC, and from that point were made in all major Greek cities for the duration of the Hellenistic period and into the Roman, especially in Alexandria. This relief-decorated pottery became more popular than painted pottery during the Hellenistic period. This class of hemispherical bowl was made in moulds and was characterised by decoration imitating metallic beakers. When the finished bowl was taken from the mould, it was probably dipped in varnish or dull paint and fired. According to Prof. P.V.C. Baur, the stamps used for making moulds were not produced in every manufacturing centre of ‘Megarian’ bowls, but were made only in important centres such as Athens, Pergamon, Antioch and Alexandria, and sold to potters throughout the Hellenistic world. The fact that the edge of the bowl is turned outwards suggests Athenian production, and a comparison with the decorative petals on the Delian Cup (no.1913.199 of the Rebecca Darlington collection) is also plausible.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list