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LOT 1859
Western Asiatic Bronze Macehead
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
5 1/4 in. (263 grams, 13.4 cm).
Comprising a cylindrical shaft with flared mouth, rounded flanges around the bulb, and horizontal stepped collars.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Musée Cernuschi, Bronzes du Luristan: Enigmes De L'Iran Ancien IIIe-Ier millénaire ac. j.-c., Paris Musées, 2008, p.103, for type.
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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LOT 1859
Western Asiatic Bronze Macehead
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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Medieval Iron Caltrop Anti-Cavalry Group
15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Comprising six caltrops, hand-forged with square-section spikes. 195 grams total, 85-87 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
P. Žákovský has been able to classify medieval caltrops, mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries A.D., based on their morphology, into four main typologies, each with different variants. Caltrops with single-pointed spikes, whose interpretation, however, is often ambiguous, belong to type I. The other three types represent classic four-pointed caltrops, and individual types in this group differ from one another just in their cross-section. -
Luristan Bronze Short Sword with Crescent-Shaped Pommel
10th century B.C.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £400
Comprising a triangular blade with integral ribbed handle and a crescentic pommel. 450 grams, 40 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
These kinds of bronze daggers or dirks, typical of Marlik culture, were cast in a one piece mould according to Negahban, although in some specimens the guard was later cast into the blade. The separate sets of encircling ribs on the grips are again typical of swords from the Marlik area. In our specimen the grip is opened on one side to receive organic filling. -
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Piriform in profile with a stepped neck, incised decoration and three raised lugs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 534 grams, 14 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s.
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.
