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LOT 0248
Scythian Iron Wide-Bladed Sword with Engraved Decoration
6TH-5TH CENTURY B.C.
26 3/4 in. (603 grams, 68 cm).
Double-edged blade with a triangular point and squared shoulders, vertical ornamental lines on both sides of the blade, strong hilt with an engraved wave-like decoration on one side.
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
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.13300-257655.
Cf. Cernenko, E.V., The Scythians, 700-300 BC, London, 1983, pp.14ss.; Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003) in Russian, pl. X, nos.39-40; XV, nos.11,21,30-32, for similar blades; Lifanti, O., Shelekhan, O., ‘Swords and swordmen in Greco-Scythian art’ in Peuce Serie Nova, XX, 2022, pp.39-72, figs.6,8,11, for the representation of this kind of sword in Graeco-Scythian art.
FootnotesFrom the 7th century B.C., the Scythian sword appears to be a two-edged, almost parallel-sided blade tapering towards the point, about 50-60 cm long, rarely reaching 70 cm in length. The present sword can be considered to be a particular type of Scythian akinakes, with strong influences from the Urartian Caucasian culture. The sword is very similar to an example from the Haimanova Mohyla barrow, and the hilt is similar to an example visible on the relief from the Yubilejnoe settlement (Lifanti-Shelekhan, 2022 figs.8,11), where swords of the Sindo-Maeotian type are depicted.
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:
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LOT 0248
Scythian Iron Wide-Bladed Sword with Engraved Decoration
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
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Luristan Bronze Short Sword with Crescent-Shaped Pommel
10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Comprising a triangular blade with integral ribbed handle and a crescentic pommel. 450 grams, 40 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
These kinds of bronze daggers or dirks, typical of Marlik culture, were cast in a one piece mould according to Negahban, although in some specimens the guard was later cast into the blade. The separate sets of encircling ribs on the grips are again typical of swords from the Marlik area. In our specimen the grip is opened on one side to receive organic filling. -
Greek Mauritanian Kingdom Lead Slingshot of King Mastanesosus
Circa 80-49 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. 67.3 grams, 40 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.
This remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century B.C. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic. The inscription in Latin shows the growing influence of Rome at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula. The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler-hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 682 grams, 11.3 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια, where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
