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LOT 1570
Roman Bronze Tool with Maker's Mark
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
4 3/4 in. (29.8 grams, 12 cm).
Comprising a triangular blade with lobes to the angles of the lower edge; narrow neck and tubular socket; stamped '[A]R FEC' (... made [this]). [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Possibly a kitchen tool for scraping; the edge has been roughly sharpened.
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
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Roman Lead Slingshot
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Lenticular type with casting seam to the rim. 92 grams, 31 mm
From the collection of a late Gloucestershire, UK, collector. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Ovoid in profile with a rounded base, a band of ring-and-dot motifs on the shoulder and radiating indentations on the base; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 783 grams, 14.7 cm
From a specialist collection, London, UK, 1990-2000s. 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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια, where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Luristan Bronze Socketted Spearhead
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
With a broad leaf-shaped blade, a triangular mid-rib and a tapering tubular socket; accompanied by a display stand. 382 grams total, spearhead: 23.1 cm (31.2 cm including stand)
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
The spear belongs to the type VIII classified by Khorasani (spearheads with well-projecting midribs and long folded sockets) and more specifically to subtype C (with leaf-shaped blade and short hollow socket). Usually, the willow-leaf blade has an almost straight shoulder base and a wide, flat midrib tapering towards the point.
