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LOT 1826
Very Large Medieval Socketted Iron Swallow-Tailed Arrowhead
CIRCA 13TH-15TH CENTURY A.D.
5 3/4 in. (29.3 grams, 14.5 cm).
With elongated swept barbs flanking a butted socket. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired from a USA private collector in the 1990s.
Ex Buckinghamshire, UK, collection.
Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 4th March 2026-7th June 2026; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
LiteratureSee Jessop, O., Medieval Arrowheads, Finds Research Group datasheet 22, Lincoln, 1997.
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 1826
Very Large Medieval Socketted Iron Swallow-Tailed Arrowhead
Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
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Greek Corinthian Style Helmet in Perspex Display Case
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
A bronze reproduction of a Corinthian helmet with a deep nasal and cheek guards; supplied with a custom-made perspex display case. 10.05 kg total, 40.5 cm high including stand (helmet: 26.5 cm high)
Private collection, UK. -
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Urartian Bronze Helmet with Embossed Decoration
9th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
A Caucasian or Urartian helmet of domed profile, hammered from a single sheet of metal; radiating rows of small repoussé bosses with interstitial rows connecting larger examples; shallow recess at the forward edge; old accession label to inner face 'AG334'; later pseudo-inscription; some restoration. 1.5 kg total, 41 cm including stand
Ex Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Germany [1944-2001], AG 334, 1990. with Hermann Historica, Munich, Germany, 2008. Private collection, New York, USA. 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.13262-254403.
The Urartian craftsmen were especially famous for their metalworking skills. However, the shape of this helmet differs considerably from the usual pointed Urartian examples, and shows a strong influence from the Scythian and Moeotic military headgear, which is not surprising if we consider that Urartu had been at war with the Scythian tribes of Caucasus since the 7th century B.C. The remainder of the helmet is its bowl, embossed and decorated, and an unusual recess on the front part. The helmet was used with a padded cap, which probably formed an integral part of the same headgear. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Piriform in profile with impressed motifs on the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 461 grams, 10.5 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.
