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LOT 1367
Western Asiatic Bronze Dagger
2ND MILLENNIUM B.C.
6 7/8 in. (128 grams total, 17.6 cm high including stand).
With a narrow pointed blade and wide raised flange down centre, straight sides, well marked shoulders with narrow tang, one hole for rivet.
ProvenanceFrom the possessions of a member of a German princely family, gathered in the late 19th century, until the 1930s.
with Auction House CUSP, Vienna, Auction Antique Art from Asia and from the Eastern Mediterranean, 16 June 2012, lot 75 [Part].
See Maxwell-Hyslop, R., 'Daggers and swords in Western Asia: a Study from Prehistoric Times to 600BC,' in Iraq, Volume 8, 1946, pp.1-65, pl.II, type 12.
FootnotesThe type was technically more advanced than previous types of blades in the Near East, owing to the shape of the weapon, with its slightly convex sides widening out near the point, which combined the advantages of the leaf-shaped and straight-sided forms.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1367
Western Asiatic Bronze Dagger
Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)
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Luristan Bronze Socketted Adze
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
With short tubular socket and flared cutting edge perpendicular to the socket. 590 grams, 14.5 cm
From an old English collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex gentleman; acquired on the UK art market. -
Luristan Bronze Horse Harness Cheekpiece
11th-8th century B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £160
In the form of a righthand side bar, surmounted by two loops for additional straps, ending in a lion's head at the front, the other extremity bending outwards and ending with a conical tip, remains of the iron bar visible on the sides; once belonging to an articulate bit. 130 grams, 13.5 cm wide
Fine condition.
Acquired mid 1980s to early 1990s. Private family collection formed in London, UK.
The association of Psalia in the shape of a bar and with an articulated bit is documented in Assyria, in Media and in central Iran starting from the 10th century B.C., but the zoomorphic elements of this specimen suggest that it was produced in Luristan. The use of articulated bits, which moved inside the horse's mouth, exerting a minimal pressure on the reins, allowed for better control of the mount. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Piriform body with broad neck, stamped roulettes to the lower body and fronds to the shoulder, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 982 grams, 16 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. 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.
