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LOT 1123
Western Asiatic Bronze Axehead
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
10 1/4 in. (1.3 kg, 26 cm).
With central socket and shaft; cutting blade set vertically at a right-angle; the short pick-adze blade arranged horizontally.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 2004, item 21.
FootnotesThe earliest axe-adzes from the 3rd millennium B.C. were weapons and tools furnished with socket holes. Usually a socket was a more secure way of attaching the object to a wooden haft than having a tang. These weapons developed into a plethora of different forms in the 2nd millennium B.C., and the numerous new forms and were used until at least 800 B.C.
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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Viking Iron Bearded Axehead
10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Featuring a sub-triangular socket, rectangular butt and bearded head with convex cutting edge. 563 grams, 14.6 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. -
North-West Persian Bronze Spearhead
1200-1000 B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
With long tapering blade with rounded shoulders and prominent mid-rib, the tang bent at tip with round stud terminal. 295 grams, 34.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
The weapon belongs to the type 1 of the Khorasani spearhead classification, mainly from Marlik or Amlash areas. Similar pieces have been dated by Stutzinger to 1200-1100 B.C., but the period of use is attested to at least until the 1000 B.C. -
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Roman Bronze Armour Double Fastening Hooks
Circa 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Each a scrolled bar formed as a serpent or other animal with stylised geometric detailing; attachment perforations to both terminals. 19.6 grams total, 64-66 mm
Acquired on the London art market, 1980s-1990s.
In the 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D., the Celtic fastening system of the ring mail armour (gallica, lorica ferro aspera) became the standard in the Imperial Roman army, with a pivot attached to the breast and hinged to the edges of the humeralia (shoulder guards). The chest fastener had various different designs. The double hooks, S-shaped and usually with snake-head terminals, were secured by a central rivet on the chest. The system allowed excellent freedom of movement, giving greater protection to the shoulders and the arms. Similar fasteners for infantry mail have been found on the Kalkriese battlefield, some of them also decorated with niello and inscribed with the name of the soldier.
