Loading, please wait...
LOT 1152
Roman Style Bronze Cuirass
20TH CENTURY A.D.
20 7/8 in. (1.49 kg, 53 cm high).
Modelling a muscular male torso with naturalistic anatomical detailing.
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
See Peterson, D., Fotografare la storia, I Legionari Romani, nelle fotoricostruzioni di Daniel Peterson (Photographing history, The Roman Legionaries, in Daniel Peterson's photoreconstructions), Parma, 1992, pp.7-9, for similar.
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.
-
.jpg)
Assyrian Bronze Relief Fragment
Circa 9th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Displaying a corrugated rim above and below; two advancing soldiers, each striding forwards over the headless body of a dead enemy, carrying a severed head in each hand; the soldiers shown bearded and each wearing a pointed and segmented helmet with a recess to accommodate the ears, a cuirass and thigh-length tunic, with a bow over one shoulder and a sword slung from a waist belt; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 72 grams, 10.8 cm wide (277 grams total, 11 cm high including stand)
Ex S. Moussieff collection, London, UK. Acquired from C.J. Martin (Coins) Ltd. 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 no.203209.
Battle-scenes - and especially images where the Assyrians overrun their enemies and achieve outright victory - appear to make up a large part of 'official' art of the period. Subjecting a defeated foe to torture and death is the theme of much of the wall-decoration of the palace of Nineveh. A battle-scene depicting the siege of a walled city shows similarly equipped infantrymen; it is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.55.121.4a, b. -
Luristan Bronze Dagger
3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Composed of a leaf-shaped blade, central slightly raised midrib, separately casted hilt with crescentic guard, rivet hole and lozenge-shaped grip. 147 grams, 26.5 cm
Ex German collection, Cologne, 1980-1990s.
Early bronze daggers from Luristan and Elam had separate casted hilt. Some scholars suggest that arsenic bronze was used in their production, and the handle was separately cast and rivetted to the hilt. Most scholars (Moorey, Mahboubian, Slotta, Vatandust, Khorasani) agree on a 3rd millennium B.C. dating based on the decoration of the hilt. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Irregular pear-shaped ceramic vessel with domed filler-hole, impressed rings and vertical bars to the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 980 grams, 15 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
