Roman Marble Ballista Catapult Shot

The breastplate with pronounced vertical rib and two rivets to front, roll at neck and splay at base with rivets to full perimeter, with inked accession numbers '21238A' (crossed through) and 'SDM - EW1' above '1931 - 30 - 6, a' and inked handwritten paper label reading 'Old Spanish Armour (Conquistador) / Found with remains of Spanish Galleon on / the estate of Leakin family (Georgia) coast. / about 1870. Refer to Trinity College Hertford Ct. / for information in Leakin family. / Given originally to Mrs Mark Howden (Hartford Ct.) / [ ] when I was 7 years old. / Luke W Lee 1944' in eight lines and also with chalked 'Old Spanish Armour / from Georgia 1944' inscription in two lines; the backplate generally matching but with vertical groove at centre and no splay at base, with inked accession numbers '31238B' (crossed through) and 'SDM - EW1' above '1951 - 30 - 6, b'. 3.3 kg, 42.5 cm high



From a Southern Californian museum, with accession numbers. Ex American collector. Acquired from TimeLine Auctions, UK, 2018, lot 181. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.204020.

Trinity College, Hartford was founded in 1823; further research in their archives could provide more information on this cuirass set and the site of the 'Spanish galleon' shipwreck discovered in about 1870.

Comprising a single-edged blade, whittle tang and cylindrical grip terminating in a bulbous openwork pommel. 178 grams, 31 cm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

Carried universally throughout Europe, the kidney dagger or ballock dagger (dague a rognons) seems to have been used by all classes of society. Early effigies and brasses prove that the ballock dagger was a knightly weapon. Later on, the more elaborate daggers suggest that it was also a weapon of the emerging merchant and artisan classes. Of course there are also some very simple and crude examples which would probably have been used by the peasants.

With central barbed spike positioned under the pierced central hole, fitted on both sides with arms having circular shaped eyelet-like protuberances. 29.6 grams total, 54-62 mm



Acquired on the German art market around 2000. From the collection of a South African gentleman.

The prick spur was the first type of spur to be invented, and it consists of a goad or prick, more or less pointed, connected to side arms or a heel plate. They went around the rider’s heel and had a straight post on the back that was used to cue the horse. Often this was sharp, obviously intended to prick the horse, The type here represented seems to be a provincial variant of Roman Imperial prick spur fitted with three eyelets.