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LOT 1474
Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
12 3/4 in. (355 grams, 32.2 cm).
Comprising a triangular blade with a rounded tip, a flaring neck with incised barleytwist detailing, and a square-section tang with bent tip.
ProvenanceEx Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, items 278, 280, for type.
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LOT 1474
Western Asiatic Bronze Spear Blade
Estimate £180 - 240€210 - 280 (for guidance only)$240 - 320 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£90 (EUR 104; USD 122) +BP*
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Western Asiatic Bronze Axehead
Late 3rd-early 2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
With a short socketted shaft, the plain rectangular blade broadening towards the cutting edge; side holes on the shaft. 446 grams, 11.4 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
Unadorned weapons, especially axes, adzes, and picks, were made by Luristan craftsmen using simple clay or stone bivalve moulds, into which a core was inserted to form the socket for the shaft. Typically, the metallic composition consisted of a combination of arsenical bronze and copper, together with a small percentage of lead. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Ovoid body with pointed base and domed filler-hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 510 grams, 11.9 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. -
Greek Lead Slingshot Collection
3rd-2nd century B.C.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Bids: 4 | Current Bid: £40
Mainly biconical types, some with raised lettering and other ornament; supplied with old collector's record tickets. 411 grams total, 29-32 mm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of a Middlesex gentleman.
