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LOT 1082
Roman Bronze Military Helmet Face Guard Section
3RD CENTURY A.D.
5 1/8 in. (75 grams, 13 cm high).
From the right side of the face mask, the upper edge with a band of embossed diagonal lines, probably intending to represent stylised hair, embossed spiral to the centre, a symbol clearly connected with the worship of the sun; a hole for the fastening thongs at ear-level which originally linked the face-guard to the bowl.
ProvenanceAcquired 1960s-1990s.
Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
See Robinson, R., The Armour of Imperial Rome, New York, 1975; Garbsch, J., Römische Paraderustüngen, München, 1979; Born, H., Junkelmann, M., Römische Kampf-und Turnierrüstungen, Band VI, Sammlung Axel Guttmann, Mainz, 1997; D'Amato R., Negin, A.,Decorated Roman Armour, London, 2017.
FootnotesThe spiral decoration of the face-guard is connected with the solar cult. The spiral represents the rotary movement of the sun, and the spiral is probably the oldest known spiritual symbol connected with the sun, together with the swastika or tetragammadion. The connection can also be seen in Celtic art, where the representation of the spiral also follows the path of the sun, describing the movements of the heavenly body over the course of a solar year. The third century was characterised by diffusion of the solar cult, the Sol Invictus, among the Roman soldiers, with its symbols often represented on arms and weapons as an apotropaic element of protection.
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Greek Bronze Chalcidian Helmet
5th-4th century B.C.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,667
Of Kunze Group VII, formed from two curved segments, each with a flared rim, nasal, raised panels to the upper section of the bowl, repoussé ridge forming curved brows, a recess for the ear to each side; star-shaped attachment to the top with slot for plumes; restored and with replica cheek pieces. 2.7 kg total, 42.5 cm high including stand
Restored, but in general good condition, rare details
Acquired in the 1970s. Ex private Austrian collection. The Kusmirek Collection, UK Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. Accompanied by a report of metallurgical analytical results, written by metallurgist Dr Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11763-203979.
Among the Chalcidian helmet types, the fifth and last typology, corresponding to the Kunze group VII (Pflug, 1988, p.138), was characterised by the presence of detached cheek-guards. By the end of the 5th century BC, the fixed cheek-pieces had been entirely abandoned on the Chalcidian helmets for the more versatile hinged cheek pieces. As is the case with most of the Greek helmets in 5th and 4th century B.C., very few originals have been found on the Greek continent. Several district regional workshops produced such helmets by the 5th century B.C.: mainland Greece, the Black Sea Coast, Thrace, Southern Italy and Iberia. -
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German WWII Stick Grenade Group
1914-1945 A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £94
German practice stick grenade group including: a WWII model 24 Stielhandgranate with pierced red-coloured head; together with a restored relic head of WWI date. 684 grams, 44.5 cm
Acquired from The Lanes Armoury, Brighton, and Graham Currie Militaria. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by copies of the listings.
The brb-code name for Richard Rinker GmbH, was used for training German armed forced during WWII. Its distinctive appearance lead to it being dubbed the stick grenade' or 'potato masher' in British army slang. It used a friction igniter, with a pull cord running through the hollow wooden handle terminating in a porcelain ball. -
Medieval Iron Arrowhead Group
13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Comprising tanged arrowheads of various types. 59 grams total, 5-11.6 cm
Acquired before 1972. The Kusmirek Collection, UK.
The projectiles belong to the type 1 of the A. Michalak classification. In Western Europe, especially from the 13th century onwards, arrows were made in various forms including: simple cone-shaped heads, rhomboid heads, hooked heads, heads with various curved barbs, willow-shaped heads, triangular and flat-bladed heads, crescent-shaped heads and sometimes as petal-shaped and battering heads.
