Viking Age Baltic Iron Wide-Bladed Axehead

With slender tubular socket, horizontal upper cheek and curved lower one, scooped profile to blade with convex cutting edge. 333 grams, 12.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

Matched pair of Samnite triangular breast and backplates, a suite of 'triple-disc' type, each with three repoussé panels with carinated rim, flat spandrel above and curved on the lower sides, with perforated edges to affix to a separate mail garment; rivetted loops to the shoulders for attachment of supporting straps, and similar lateral loops with portion of round-link chain in situ; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.72 kg total, 40 cm high including stand



Ex Axel Guttmann collection of ancient arms and armour, Germany (1944-2001). with Hermann Historica, Munich, Germany. Ex Art Ancient, London, UK, 2019. with Sotheby’s, London, Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art, Part II, 8 December 2021, lot 155. 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 no.11941-210864.

These breastplates (kardiophylax) were a reduced version of the muscled armour (statos). Many archaeological specimens of this type were found in South Italian graves (Paestum, Alfedena), and are represented on the famous statuette of a Samnite Warrior found in Sicily (Connolly, 1981, p.108) in the Louvre and on many frescoes from Paestum, or are visible on the Campanian and Lucanian pottery, representing warriors (Christie's, 2004, no.90). The triple cuirass is well attested in archaeology, and the finds of Alfadena and Paestum show that it was mainly used by the coastal Samnites. This example is fairly representative of those in which the shoulder and side plates were attached to the front and back plates by rings and hooks. Born suggested that the upper two discs of the cuirass represented the pectoral muscles, the disc below the abdominal muscles.

Comprising mainly tanged arrowheads, the most of them having large elongated triangular blades and raised midrib, sharp central groove, cylindrical or squared stem for the shaft, barbed shoulders and convex sides; others with lanceolate head and rounded shoulders with long tang and foliate-section. 103 grams total, 29-68 mm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

The most of these arrowheads, having a lozenge-section midrib with thin blades filed sharp at the edges, are typical of the early Iron Age in Luristan. These arrowheads seem to belong to the type V, subcategory types A, C and D according to the classification of Khorasani and Negahban. In the four categories of triangular bronze arrowheads from Luristan, Marlik, and Northern Iran individuated by Negahban, subtypes C and D of type V are larger arrow or javelin heads, C with barbed shoulders and D with round shoulders. Subtype A is substantially similar to C, but smaller. Similar arrowheads are also visible in the Western Iberian and Balkan cultures in the Early Iron Age.