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LOT 0294
Percussion Swivel Breech Kentucky Rifle
1836 A.D.
48 3/4 in. (4.10 kg, 124 cm).
Over and under turnover rifle with 82cm (32¼") barrel with brass insert inscribed 'D Kornman' to top, double set trigger, fitted with one (of two) ramrod in brass ferrules at side and characteristically curved wood stock with brass butt and side plates, trigger guard and patch container with hinged lid; left of stock with inset silver(?) of a fish or whale which might suggest that this was carried on a whaling ship; action working.
ProvenanceAcquired from Andrew Spencer Bottomley, UK, 2016.
The Kusmirek Collection, UK.
Accompanied by copies of the purchase invoice and listing.
See Flayderman, N., Guide to Antique American Firearms, 9th edition, 2007, p.670, no.11-032, for a very similar example.
FootnotesSold as an exempt item under Section 58 (2) of the Firearms Act, 1968, to be held as a curiosity or ornament. No license required but buyer must be over 18 years of age. Overseas bidders should note that, due to UK regulations governing export of all firearms, overseas buyers will need to make arrangements for shipping this lot out of the UK directly, by air freight, with a specialist company or agent.
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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Post Medieval Iron Sword Group
18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Comprising mostly military weapons: a bayonet; sabre; two swords. 3.5 kg total, 89-110 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
One of the swords shows analogies with post-1846 Wilkinson types, regulation steel hilt and steel scabbard with two loose rings. The Wilkinson style officers' blade was a compromise cut and thrust sabre blade with a fuller (groove), found on huge numbers of antique British military officers' swords. It replaced the pipeback blade previously used on officers' swords. -
Luristan Bronze Dagger
Circa 1000 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Narrow triangular casting with gentle midrib and narrow point, scooped shoulders, long flat-section tang with lobe finial. 129 grams, 36 cm
Ex German collection, Cologne, 1980-1990s.
The type of the present dirk or dagger corresponds to type IX of Medvedskaya classification. The type consists of a bronze blade with organic handle, possibly made of bone or wood, and a long tang, which was usually bent at the extremity. According to Moorey, the exact dating of these pieces is uncertain. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Pear-shaped ceramic vessel with domed filler-hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 594 grams, 12 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
