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LOT 0304
Scythian Iron Akinakes Sword with Decorations
4TH CENTURY B.C.
23 in. (481 grams, 58.5 cm).
Of Central Asian typology, strong hilt and narrow ogival guard with Steppe style ornamentation, tipped hilt, triangular tapering blade fitted with a central triangular blood channel with sixteen grooves.
ProvenanceEx private collection of Mr M.B., Mainz, Germany, since the 1980s.
Acquired from the above, 2004.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12283-214520.
See Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg, 2003, in Russian, see pl.VIII, no.53, for a similar sword; cf. Meliukova, A.I., Vooruzhenie skifov. Moskva: Nauka Svod arheologicheskih istochnikov, Moscow, 1964, pl.18,10, for a near identical sword from Sofievska.
FootnotesThe akinakes was a characteristic Scythian type of weaponry, which was used throughout their history (7th-3rd centuries B.C.). With the departure of the Scythians from the steppe in the 3rd century B.C., and the appearance of the Sarmatian tribes in the Northern Black Sea region in the 2nd-1st centuries B.C., Sarmatian types of bladed weapons spread in the region. This particular shape of akinakes belongs to the nomadic cultures of Central Asia.
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LOT 0304
Scythian Iron Akinakes Sword with Decorations
Estimate £1,500 - 2,000€1,740 - 2,320 (for guidance only)$2,030 - 2,700 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Piriform-conical body with S-shaped ornaments to the shoulder, interstitial panels of impressed alternate foliage and S-shaped horizontal ornaments, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 650 grams, 12.5 cm
From a military inspired collection formed from the 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'.
This piece was a type of a ceramic fire grenade, similar to the ones used by the Eastern Romans but of Turco-Mongol type. Apart from the use of manual flame-throwers, special corps of soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations, even in Far East, like in Burma. -
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Mesopotamian Copper Double Rein Guide for a Chariot
Circa mid 3rd millennium B.C.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,444
In the form of an advancing stallion on a plinth, holding its head high and gazing to the right; short standing mane with incised detailing, and a long tail extending to the plinth; recessed eyes, likely once inlaid, drilled nostrils and open mouth; the plinth joined at a right angle to two connected rings atop three parallel rods, the rods joined at the bottom to an arching bar with side lugs. 603 grams, 28.5 cm
Acquired from Toufic Arakji, Hamburg, Germany, 14 January 1997. with Mahboubian Gallery, London, UK. Property of a London gentleman. Accompanied by an academic 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 a search certificate number no.12160-218627.
This magnificent chariot fitting was cast in one piece, probably made in arsenical copper in Mesopotamia in the Early Dynastic Period (ED). The reins were connected to the head harness and then passed through the rein ring, that was connected to a yoke pole. The purpose of the rein ring was to prevent the multiple reins snarling and also added an element of control for the driver. The lower concave bar was tied onto the pole by rope or leather, while the hooks served to secure the ends. These rein rings were not only practical instruments, but also ornamental elements of royal vehicles. A well-known example of this type is a terret crowned by an equid figure that was associated with Pu-abi’s sledge in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, today at the British Museum, inv.121438. -
Chinese Serpentine and Gilt Bronze Ceremonial Axe
Qing Dynasty, 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Comprising a serpentine pelta-shaped blade with taotie motif, bronze socket formed as a stylised fish with a lizard on its back, open mouth to accept the staff; in archaic style. 513 grams, 23.5 cm
Acquired UK, in the 1980s. Property of a retired South West London doctor
