Loading, please wait...
LOT 1881
Roman Lead Slingshot of Quintus Sertorius
SERTORIAN WARS, 82-72 B.C.
1 1/4 in. (57.2 grams, 33 mm).
Lentoid in form with raised legend to reverse: 'Q.SERT / PPOR C'; casting flange to rim. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market, early 2000s.
Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.
Cf. J.G. González, Quintus Sertorius Pro Consule: Connotaciones de la Magistradura Proconsular afirmada en las glandes inscriptae Sertorianae. / Quintus Sertorius Pro Consule: Connotations of the Proconsular Magistracy asserted in the Glandes Incriptae Sertorianae, in Anas 25-26, 2012/2013, pp. 189-206.
FootnotesThe inscription refers to Quintus Sertorius, the Roman statesman and general (123-72 BC).
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:
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.
-
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Piriform in profile with impressed motifs on the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 461 grams, 10.5 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια, where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form. -
Luristan Bronze Tanged Dirk
Early 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Comprising a slender blade with a raised midrib with grooves, a short rectangular-section tang pierced at the end. 200 grams, 41.5 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
The Luri people produced a quantity of fine metalwork, which, according to Dr Khorasani, could be due to a settled period arising as a result of the defeat of the Elamites by the Babylonians, leaving the Luristani people in relative peace for a period of time after 1200 BC. According to Khorasani, 'A culture of innovation and experimentation flourished, and the repertoire of the Luristan smiths expanded in the period between 1150-1050 B.C.' -
Greek Lead Slingshot with Trident of Poseidon
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Biconical in profile with casting seam and low relief trident motif to one face. 33.4 grams, 31 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.