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LOT 1120
Urartu Bronze Mace or Sceptre Head
9TH-8TH CENTURY B.C.
2 3/8 in. (490 grams, 60 mm).
With cylindrical head and narrow flanged base, the head divided in four petals. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market.
Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.
See Gorelik, M., Weapons of Ancient East, IV millennium BC-IV century BC, Saint Petersburg (2003), pl.XXXI, no.94, for a similar mace.
FootnotesAssyrian and Urartian officers are identified by their weapons in the reliefs. It is not so easy to definitely identify cavalry officers on the palace reliefs of the Assyrian kings, but their identification is based mainly on the context they appear in, and on some insignia (mace, sceptre) they carry with them. Hence, the mace was not only a practical weapon, but also a command insignia.
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AUCTIONS:
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During the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), Chinese warfare evolved. Kings and princes were replaced on the battlefield by infantries lead by military generals. New arms and armour were invented, including the halberd and crossbow. This sceptre head has a spearhead finial that features an openwork motif that is both decorative as well as functional, since it decreases the weight of the bronze, making the spear cheaper to produce and lighter to use. -
Medieval Child's Bronze Archer's Ring
14th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Displaying incised dashed lines to the bezel. 3.19 grams, 23.87 mm overall, 14.01 mm internal diameter (approximate size British F 1/2, USA 3, Europe 4.3, Japan 4)
Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman. -
Byzantine Period Bronze Decorated Archer's Ring
12th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
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