Western Asiatic Bronze Side-Blade Axehead

With pattern-welded double-edged blade, showing well-defined shallow fullers and wide cutting edges, the fullers occupying not less than one third of the entire width and running to a point about 19 cm from the tip; massive, simply decorated hilt; the pommel, as well as the cross-guard, with visible zig-zag patterns; the pommel of solid tea-cosy type, divided into two sections by a well marked groove, the bottom being the larger, the curved top portion of the pommel further divided into three lobes; traces of inlay visible on the pommel and on the cross-guard. 1.25 kg, 94 cm



Acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. From the property of a Suffolk collector.

The blade shows in its central section, and on both cutting edges, the blodiձa style pattern-welding through the central portion of the blade (Oakeshott, 1960, fig.70). The fine pattern-welded blade patterns of Viking swords are the blodiձa (Blood-Eddy) and 'ann' (rows of mown hay) known from Norse poetry.

Comprising an ovoid body with a rectangular void to accept a strap; the lower section broad with a rib to the underside, the upper flat in section with silver inlay in geometric forms to one face. 244 grams, 16 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Piriform body with impressed panels and roundels to the shoulder, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 415 grams, 10.7 cm



From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 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'.

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.