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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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Luristan Bronze Socketted Spearhead
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising a leaf-shaped blade with a raised midrib and a tapering tubular socket. 317 grams, 23.7 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
The spear belongs to the type VIII classified by Khorasani (spearheads with well-projecting midribs and long folded sockets) and more specifically to subtype C (with leaf-shaped blade and short hollow socket). Usually the willow-leaf blade has an almost straight shoulder base and a wide, flat midrib tapering towards the point. -
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. -
Greek Lead Slingshot Group
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising three lentoid-section bullets. 87 grams total, 27-37 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.