Loading, please wait...
LOT 1041
Viking Rus Period Bearded Type Axehead
CIRCA 11TH CENTURY A.D.
7 1/2 in. (746 grams, 19 cm).
An iron axehead with sturdy neck and slightly curved triangular blade; socket with lateral flanges and long rectangular extension to the rear. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1971-1972.
From the collection of the vendor's father.
Property of a London, UK, collector.
Cf. Kirpichnikov, A.N., Drevnerusskoe Oruzie (Ancient Russian Weapons), II, Moscow-Leningrad, 1966, in Arkheologia SSSR, vol. E1-36, especially axe no.2, from (pl.XVIII) from Zauzhelie; Sedov, B.B., Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate V, item 23.
FootnotesThe axe seems to be a variation of type III of the Kirpichnikov classification of the Eastern Rus Axes typology - battle axes with downwards blade, two pairs of side wings and an elongated cut-out butt. Paulsen called the related type "Varangian group" of North Baltic axes.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Luristan 'Cotton Reel' Pommel Sword
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £889
A bronze sword with a broad double-edged blade with a central ridge on both sides, square bronze hilt with goblet-shaped pommel surmounted by a disc. 725 grams, 51 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
Bimetallic swords (some examples are entirely cast in iron and others entirely cast in bronze) with disc pommel, slender cylindrical grip and tapering blades of this type are among the most common types of daggers / swords in Northern Iranian graveyards. This type has occasionally been referred to as the 'cotton reel' pommel, as below the flat circular pommel there is a second, a rather wide disc, and a plain or incised cylindrical grip in between. -
Khandjar Type Dagger
19th century A.D.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
A very large iron dagger, curved with a thick double edge blade, handle composed of wood and iron, ornately decorated with lozenges, fastened by eight iron flat-headed rivets. 118 grams, 32 cm long
Fine condition.
Private family collection formed in London, mid 1980s to early 1990s.
Among the various Arab dagger groups, the one from North Africa is characterised by rather fine blades made in the Turkish-Persian style. Usually the handles (in wood, ivory and metal) feature a large rounded pommel in the guise of peacock feathers. This type is common in Morocco, Tunisia and all the way to Egypt, and is a type of Khandjar usually called Koummiya or Goummiya (a term later adopted in Spanish as Goumia, to indicate all the short Arab daggers). -
Marlik Decorated Spearhead
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £330
A bronze spearhead with projecting midribs, long folded socket, decorated by concentric horizontal lines at the base and beneath the blade, horizontal triangles and vertical grooves along the shaft; triangular blade with round shoulders, ornamented by vertical lines running parallel to the midrib; pair of holes on the lower part of the shaft for attachment to a wooden haft. 562 grams, 55 cm
Fine condition.
Ex important Japanese collection, 1970s-2010.
The spearhead, cast in one piece, belongs to the type VIII, subtype B (triangular blade) of the Khorasani classification. Similar spearheads were excavated by Dr Negahban in the Marlik necropolis (tomb 1, trench III D) and are preserved in the National Museum of Iran, Teheran.
