Loading, please wait...
LOT 1062
Roman Sling Shot Group
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/8 - 1 3/8 in. (185 grams total, 29-34 mm).
A lentoid-section lead slingshot (glans) specimen group. [4, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Roding, Essex, UK.
Acquired on the UK antiques market between 1974-1985.
Albert Ward collection, Essex, UK.
Similar shots were used in the civil war among Pompey and Caesar, and in all of Caesar's wars. The funditores of Caesa's age were part of the light infantry. Caesar speaks of his Balearic slingers during the conquest of Gaul. They wore a short tunic, with leather or rope sandals to the feet, and a warm overcoat which could also have been used to store projectiles. They also used a satchel to carry very deadly lead-like stones or bullets.
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.
-
Luristan Dirk with Cuneiform Inscription
1125-1104 B.C.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,000
A bronze dirk or dagger with raised flanges to the grip, possibly to accept organic inserts, cuneiform script over two lines inscribed to the blade below the grip on both faces; blade repaired. 188 grams, 40 cm
with a London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s. 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.11591-199676.
This is a dagger with an inscription of King Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon, 1125-1104 B.C. The inscription is identical to those on four other bronze daggers (reportedly from Luristan), three of which are in the Foroughi collection and one in the Iran Bastan museum (National Museum of Iran, inventory no.626/1626). The Type IIIa bronze dirk of the Medveskaya classification belongs to a series of weapons bearing the same engraved inscription in Babylonian cuneiform script which reads: 'It belongs to Nabu, the King of Kiohatti, the King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad'. It was cast in one piece (hilt and blade) and probably formed an endowment to the royal guard. -
African Yaka Sword with Scabbard
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
An iron sword with leaf-shaped blade decorated with a simple punched line punched and zig-zag ornament; the hilt partially covered with leather with stitched junctions, twisted iron wire 'cage' and elongated iron pommel; accompanied by a fragmentary wooden leather-covered sheath with spatulate end. 684 grams, 70 cm long
Acquired locally by donation. Property of Sense Charity, Cambridgeshire, UK.
The Yaka are an African ethnic group found in the south-west of the DRC, with the Angolan border to their west. The Yaka people were historically known for their excellent diplomatic and military abilities which enabled them to found the Yaka kingdom in the 17th century. One of their distinctive weapons was a long, straight sabre which developed into an increasingly elaborate style during the 19th and 20th centuries A.D. -
Luristan Sword Blade
Late 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £936
A bronze sword with solid cast hilt with penannular guard and a horizontally ribbed grip; a conical stone mushroom pommel and a multi-fullered blade tapering to a sharp tip; handle repaired. 876 grams, 56 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
According to Moorey, such category of swords were distributed in the Northern Iran area, as proved by the Amarlu finds. Based on the example from the Ashmolean Museum, he dated them to the end of the 2nd millennium B.C., more precisely to a period between 1400-1200 B.C.
