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LOT 1532
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 1532
Western Asiatic Bronze Macehead
Estimate £180 - 240€210 - 280 (for guidance only)$240 - 320 (for guidance only)
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Luristan Bronze Tanged and Rivetted Spearhead
1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £90
Comprising a triangular blade with a narrow midrib, a short tang with two attachment studs in situ. 184 grams, 32 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s. -
Large Amlash Bronze Spear-Head
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Slender blade with raised midrib and a short, pierced tang; Amlash or Marlik. 300 grams, 39 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1990s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Piriform body with domed filler-hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 787 grams, 12.9 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s. 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.