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LOT 1468
Western Asiatic Bronze Weapon Group
13TH-7TH CENTURY B.C. AND LATER
5 1/8 - 10 7/8 in. (634 grams total, 13-27.5 cm).
Including a ribbed triangular dagger blade, dagger with trumpet-shaped grip, and other items. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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Pre-Achaemenid Silver Clad Lion Shield Boss
9th-8th century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
With stylised repoussé head and face detailing showing two faces, one to the side and the other to the top, the mane represented by a scalloped border; sheet-silver clad to the head over bronze; pierced for attachment. 82 grams, 76 mm
Ex London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11871-206896. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, the upper body with impressed ring-and-dot motifs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 415 grams, 10.6 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. -
Villanovan Bronze Helmet
8th century B.C.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,444
With rounded bowl and flared rim; three sets of paired piercings for attachment of leather cheek-flaps; cracked. 1.7 kg, 30.5 cm wide
Bowl pierced and cracked.
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private European collection since 1998. 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 no.11573-199009.
The ‘pot’ or ‘bell’ helmet, found in contexts as early as the 8th century coffer grave (ad arca) from the Esquiline (Rome) and other graves (Coussin, 1926, p.88, fig.23; Sekunda, Northwood,1995, p.6, grave 94) was made from a single piece of bronze, while later Italic variants were fashioned from jointed plates (Connolly, 1981, p.102, figs.2-2a; Egg, 1988, p.223, variant Vetulonia). The skull was somewhat spherical, with a flared rim: in some Etruscan and Italic specimens, this was rivetted for strength.
