'The Customs House' Tudor Inscribed Iron Hammer-Head

With long tubular shank and four hefty bulbs surrounding the shaft. 456 grams, 22.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. Accompanied by an earlier catalogue identification card.

This rare and unusual mace finds parallels with similar pieces published by Slotta, Vatandust, and Moorey. The dating varies between 21st and 14th century B.C. Western Iranian maces, especially the Luristan ones, were notable for the variety of different forms. According to Dr D. Nicolle the gorz or mace was primarily used as an armour breaking weapon since ancient times, and was very common on the Iranian plateau.

With a double-edged tapering blade, long tapering fullers and a narrow tang; boat-shaped bronze cross-guard with Jellinge Style decoration; the upper guard with similar ornament topped by a seven-lobed pommel. 675 grams, 88 cm

The blade is generally complete and in good conditions, although traces of corrosion are visible on the surface and on the edges; both cutting edges show strong traces of employ on battlefield, with battle-nicks along their length; pitting from possible water depot; still-homogenous blade structure, with strong delamination and material losses visible on the original surface of the metal.

From 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.12011-213595.

This Couronian sword finds a good parallel with Baltic swords, used by Prussian, Couronians, Estonian and Lithuanian pagan warriors; see a sword once in the Prussian Museum, inventory V. Nr. 8368, from Janischken (Fig. 1,a); other clear parallels can be seen in Kazakevičius, 1996, figs.62-63 (fig.2) and Tomsons, 2012, fig.2 (Fig.3),3,7. The Curonian swords of this type, sometimes with animal head decoration on the lower guard, were widespread and used in the Eastern Baltic lands from 10th to 13th century.

With foliate blade and tapering socket. 183 grams, 25.6 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The bronze spearhead developed considerably during the period of the Assyrian colonies in Anatolia and even during the period Karum III-IV, maintaining consistently its southern shape. Conical points are also known from Bogazkoy's Karum levels. While spearheads from the first half of the 2nd millennium B.C. were hafted by means of a tang, with two slots in the blade providing additional support, most of the Late Bronze Age spearheads were socketted.