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LOT 1488
Western Asiatic and Other Bronze Artefact Group
CIRCA 1ST MILLENNIUM A.D. AND LATER
5/8 - 2 in. (76 grams total, 16-52 mm).
Comprising: the body of a bow brooch, a kite-shaped mount with a fish, a beast-head mount or finial, a late Roman military belt strap end of 'amphora' type; a stamp seal with an ibex, and others. [9, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. for the late Roman strap end Feugere, M., Tra Costantino e Teodosio (IV-V secolo d.C.). Osservazioni sui militaria di Aquileia’ in Aquileia Nostra Anno LXXXIII-LXXXIV, 2012-2013, tav.VI., no.90.
FootnotesAmphora strap ends were common in the late Roman army and have been found in great numbers in Roman Britain. They are so-called because their shape resembles an amphora with handles on either side. In reality, they might represent phallic symbols, in keeping with the widespread use of such imagery in the Roman military.
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AUCTIONS:
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Urartu Bull-Headed Bronze Cauldron Applique Pair
8th century B.C.Estimate: £12,000 - 17,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £6,000
Matched pair of bovine-head mounts, each formed as a pair of D-shaped wings and a tail with low-relief feather detailing and holes to accept rivets; central head and neck of a bull with prominent horns, bands of curly hair to the plate and throat, large scaphoid eyes, incised contour detailing to muzzle, socket to reverse. 790 grams total, 8-13 cm wide
From the warehouse of Lane Hope Ltd, London, UK, 1980s (company dissolved December 1991). Private collection, UK; anonymous sale, Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Auction 206, 20 June 2012, no.85. European private collection, acquired at Gorny & Mosch, 2012. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.6210.AM. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Gorny & Mosch catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12696-234610.
The fittings would have formed a part of four to the rim of a large bronze cauldron. Urartu was centred in eastern Anatolia, around Lake Van; the capital, Tushpa, was located on the eastern shore of the lake, situated on a high and elongated rock outcrop. Most sites boasted a well-built temple situated at the highest point, as well as a number of large storage rooms containing rows of large vessels for storing oil and grains, and massive, well-built fortification walls. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Pan Weight
Circa 10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Biconvex in profile with broad flat faces. 136 grams, 34 mm
From the London collection of the late Mr S.M., 1969-1999. -
Luristan Bronze Tanged Short Sword
Early 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Comprising a wide triangular blade with raised midrib and a short, pierced tang. 157 grams, 31.5 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
Edged weapons with tangs are among the simplest forms of weapons from this culture. This basic type was hardly altered in the period when bronze was the most important material in weapon production. The retention of this basic type with so few alterations makes precise dating challenging. Bronze daggers, dirks and swords exist today only as bronze blades, having lost their perishable handles over the course of time.
