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LOT 1376
Western Asiatic Bronze Sword Sheath
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
22 in. (355 grams, 56 cm).
Triangular in plan, terminating in an exaggerated curving point; the outer face pierced towards the top and with a raised midrib; the convex interior possibly containing fragmentary remains of a weapon.
ProvenanceFrom a Japanese collection, 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Moorey, P., Catalogue of Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1971, no.60, for a sword contained in a similar sheath.
FootnotesScabbards with a curve at their base are shown on reliefs and seals from Anatolia from the middle of the second millennium to the 9th century B.C.
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 1376
Western Asiatic Bronze Sword Sheath
Estimate £300 - 400€350 - 460 (for guidance only)$410 - 540 (for guidance only)
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Luristan Bronze Horse Bit with Animals
Circa 11th-7th century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
Comprising a pair of ram-shaped cheek-pieces with a hole through the body for the straight mouthpiece with looped terminals. 690 grams, 17.5 cm wide
From a collection formed in Paris in the 1990s.
The horse bits were transformed by Luristan people in to expressions of applied art. Metalworkers employed animal motifs, both realistic and imaginary, for their cheek-pieces. The question of whether these horse bits were for real use or only for use in a funerary context is superfluous, as signs of wear have been documented, and the goads and loops on interiors are functionally designed. The use of such horse bits is clearly documented in Assyrian reliefs of the time of Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.). -
'The Customs House' Tudor Inscribed Iron Hammer-Head
16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Octagonal in section with one tapering end and one flat, circular end; square punch marks to one face in a pattern: '10B'. 2.82 kg, 24.2 cm
Found Thames foreshore, Customs House, London, UK, on Thursday 9th November 2006. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.LON-D6B085. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
With domed filler-hole, broad shoulder, alternating bands of crescent impressed detailing; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 242 grams, 10.1 cm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
