Loading, please wait...
LOT 1107
Roman Marble Ballista Catapult Shot
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
5 1/8 in. (3 kg, 13 cm).
Suitable for use with an onager or other catapult-type siege weapon; with smooth finished surface. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1971-1972.
From the collection of the vendor's father.
Property of a London, UK, collector.
See Wilkins, A., Roman Imperial Artillery, Solway Print, 2017.
FootnotesThe operation of the onager (Latin for 'wild ass') is first mentioned in 353 A.D. by Ammianus Marcellinus in his Res Gestae and more fully in Vegetius's Epitoma Rei Militaris probably written in the reign of Emperor Theodosius I (378-395 A.D.).
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.
-
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead Group
1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Three tanged arrowheads with broadly leaf-shaped heads with shallow barbs, each with a raised midrib to both faces. 83 grams total, 13.5-14.5 cm
Ex private collection, 1980s. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s. -
Medieval Iron Grappling Hook
15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Retaining a free-running suspension loop. 598 grams, 22 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
The device (manus ferreae) was invented by the Romans in approximately 260 B.C.The grappling hook was originally used in naval warfare to catch ship rigging so that it could be boarded (the famous harpax of Agrippa at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C.), then widely employed in the siege wars. -
South German Burgonet Helm
Circa 1580-1610 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
The rounded two-piece skull joined along the crest with a high medial comb, internally fitted with a quilted canvas lining sewn to a leather lining-band, the brow with a fixed rounded peak, outward-flanged rear edge with a matching one-piece neck guard, hinged cheek-pieces flanged outwards at the lower edge to serve as a continuation of the neck-guard. 1.7 kg, 29 cm
with Thomas Del Mar Ltd, 7th December 2017, lot 542. The Kusmirek Collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the Thomas Del Mar invoice. 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.11762-203983.
The burgonet (Italian borgognotta) had developed at the beginning of the 16th century from the sallet and soon became a very popular helmet worn in many parts of Europe (especially in Germany and Northern Italy) by infantry and later cavalry units. A clear advantage of this helmet was the unifying a good protective function against cut and thrust weapons with a unhindered field of sight, good ventilation and user comfort due to the small weight and the fact it could be worn independently without an armour.
