Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 1347

Roman Iron 'Hipposandalus' Military Horseshoe

1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.

6 1/2 in. (350 grams, 16.5 cm).

Iron shoe with lateral curved plates and vertical bar to the front, rear panel with hooked spur for attachment. [No Reserve]

Provenance

From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Literature

Cf. Junkelmann, M., Die Reiter Roms, Teil III: Zubehor, Reitweise, Bewaffnung Mainz, 1992, fig.100-102 for the type (type I of Junkelmann's classification).

Footnotes

Hipposandals (soleae ferreae) were used on horses with injured hooves, a sort of equine orthopaedic shoe used by the mulomedicus, i.e. a Roman military veterinarian. Another important function was that to protect the hooves of the horse from injuries and damages from hard objects. The hipposandal of type 1 was formed from a sub-oval plate which tapered towards the front and rear with projections at the front, back and on either side. The heel was upturned at about 45 degrees and flared outwards. It would have terminated with a downward facing hook, now missing. The base of the sole was flat.

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 1347

Roman Iron 'Hipposandalus' Military Horseshoe

Sold for (Inc. bp): £494

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Roman Pattern-Welded Iron Sword
    Roman Pattern-Welded Iron Sword
    3rd-4th century A.D.

    Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £1,000

    A Spatha with double-edged blade of Osterburken-Kemathen Type, fullers with damask pattern (rosette damask technique B.II.I.2), sturdy tang with remains of wood; the blade cleaned and conserved on one side. 659 grams, 85.5 cm

    Excellent preserved blade

    From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no. 11923-209660.

    Lot Details

  • Viking Age Sword with Engraved Mammen Style Hilt
    Viking Age Sword with Engraved Mammen Style Hilt
    8th-9th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500

    Pattern-welded, double-edged tapering blade with a tapering tang; the boat-shaped lower guard, pommel, and upper guard decorated in Mammen Style with silver inlay; professionally conserved. 955 grams, 90.5 cm

    Some light pitting in evidence along with minor edge loss, some delamination visible on the blade’s surface; professionally treated and preserved according to Museum’s standard.

    From the Bornhauser collections. Ex A. Green private collection. Ex Balticum. with Army of Tennessee Relics, Knoxville, USA. Accompanied by an Army of Tennessee certificate of authenticity dated 5th October 2017. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12021-214091.

    This beautiful Viking sword (probably a river find) shows engraved decoration in Mammen style (700-800 A.D.) and is an early type A according to the Petersen’s typology and classification. This category of swords evolved from the swords of the Vendel Period in Scandinavia, especially from the Swedish ones. Petersen originally individuated eight examples of this sword’s typology, one of the first categories of Viking swords, although these swords were also widely used in the Carolingian Empire.

    Lot Details

  • Luristan Bronze Horse Harness Cheekpiece
    Luristan Bronze Horse Harness Cheekpiece
    11th-8th century B.C.

    Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £160

    In the form of a righthand side bar, surmounted by two loops for additional straps, ending in a lion's head at the front, the other extremity bending outwards and ending with a conical tip, remains of the iron bar visible on the sides; once belonging to an articulate bit. 130 grams, 13.5 cm wide

    Fine condition.

    Acquired mid 1980s to early 1990s. Private family collection formed in London, UK.

    The association of Psalia in the shape of a bar and with an articulated bit is documented in Assyria, in Media and in central Iran starting from the 10th century B.C., but the zoomorphic elements of this specimen suggest that it was produced in Luristan. The use of articulated bits, which moved inside the horse's mouth, exerting a minimal pressure on the reins, allowed for better control of the mount.

    Lot Details

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