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LOT 1054
Western Asiatic Dagger Blade with Winged Guards
LATE 2ND-MID 1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
23 5/8 in. (484 grams, 60 cm).
A bronze dagger with prominently curved or winged guard, extending out from the ricasso and partly framing the tang, once covered by an organic hilt; the thick midrib extending slightly above the ricasso.
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
Cf. Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, item 165, for type.
FootnotesMany examples of these blades have been excavated in the South Caspian area at Ghalekuti, and in the area of Talish. They have been found primarily in Iron Age graves, although the curves of the guards are reminiscent of the barbed arrow and javelin heads associated with Bronze Age Marlik. This is why some scholars (Dyson) dated them to the second millennium BC and others (Muscarella) to the recent Iron Age. It is possible that this style represents continuity from the Bronze to the Iron Age.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1054
Western Asiatic Dagger Blade with Winged Guards
Sold for (Inc. bp): £410
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Luristan Arrowhead Collection
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £140
A group of four bronze arrowheads comprising: two triangular with thick midrib; one barbed and tanged; one leaf-shaped. 118 grams total, 14.2-16 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Large Medieval Iron Axehead
15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £650
A substantial hand-forged iron axe with D-section socket and broad offset blade, fixed with three nails to the iron handle. 2.3 kg, 33.5 cm
Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector.
The axe corresponds to the type XII of the Glosek classification. The type is known from Poland and Sweden. However, very often these axes were found without context, and generally classified as 15th century A.D. While the axes from Sweden are regarded as weapons, and dated 14th century A.D., the long and thickened back of the axe is rather characteristic of a butcher's axe, or of an executioner's axe. -
Volga-Bulgar Archer's Arm Guard
Circa 10th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
An oval silver plate decorated with an intertwined design formed of flowers inside a double circle framed by a wavy design; pierced to the sides for fastening. 20.2 grams, 90 mm
Acquired in the 1990s. From a North Yorkshire private collection, UK.
Decorated bow string protection plates were developed by Steppe people and widespread among the Volga-Bulgarian warriors, often decorated with niello. These protective plates were fastened with straps on the wrist to protect the lower arm from the blows of the bow tendons. In addition to the bone plaques used by the Khazars, precious silver specimens from the territory of the Volga Bulgars have been preserved, including finds from Zauralia and Western Siberia. A protective plaque decorated with mythological scenes also comes from Bilär (11th-12th century A.D.) Similar plaques with simpler decorations have been found in the region of Prikamye (10th-14th century A.D.).
