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LOT 1784
Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
11 5/8 in. (347 grams, 29.6 cm).
With an ovate blade, prominent central rib and rounded shoulders, square-section shaft with flared lateral spurs forming a collar, rectangular tang with narrow tip.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.628, no.275, 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 1784
Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
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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'.
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.
