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LOT 1633
Western Asiatic Bronze Short Sword with Integral Hilt with Horns
LATE 2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
20 3/4 in. (466 grams, 53 cm).
With prominently curved guard, which extends out from the ricasso of the blade and partly frames the hilt, thick flat midrib extending slightly above the ricasso where it held the hilt.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
See similar swords in Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, pp.99-100.
FootnotesThe hilt of such swords was made separately, and unfortunately is nearly always missing from the archaeological records. Similar daggers had a northern Iranian background and excavated examples have been recorded from the South Caspian Area from Tomadjan and Ghalekuti.
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 1633
Western Asiatic Bronze Short Sword with Integral Hilt with Horns
Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
A piriform missile with raised bosses and hatching, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 660 grams total, 15 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
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Scythian Chalcidian Helmet with Embossed Stags
3rd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £24,700
Chalcidian or Illyrian variant (Caucasian type), constructed from two halves with the right side overlapping the left, embossed ram horns on the brow, with a profile image of a stag to both sides; hinged cheek-pieces with regularly disposed holes to the outer edges; some restoration. 696 grams, 31cm high
Acquired on the European art market, mid-1980s. Private collection, Oxford, UK. From the collection of a London doctor. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12339-228100. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The cultural interchange and the military contacts between the Nomads of Kuban and the Hellenic peoples allowed the Sindo-Meothic, Scythian, or Sarmatian noblemen to equip themselves with such beautiful defensive equipment. The helmet finds its closest parallel in a specimen published by A.E. Negin, belonging to the Puskin Fine Arts Museum of Moscow, originally in the collection of S. Karakowskij (Negin, 2010, p.354 no.6; Hixenbaugh H304). Some of the helmets of this type were modified according to the nomadic (Scythian or Sarmatian) taste, being decorated with religious elements, like the deer. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Heater-shaped with barbs to the rear and midrib developing to a tang. 30 grams, 15 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
