This is a very interesting bronze, socketed spear from ancient Greece or Persia. It has a slightly swollen midrib accented with incised lines. The socket is split at the original seam and there are some losses. The blade has what appears to be ancient battle damage, making this quite a unique piece for any collection. The overall length is roughly 18 cm and the weight is 130 grams.

An important extra large bronze humped bull sculpture, Amlash circa 1000-800 B.C.

A very attractive bronze bull, standing on it's stout legs and with a oversize hump and pierced through the body. Highly unusual this detailed and in the impressive size!

Size: 84 mm. long and 63 mm. tall.

Condition: Superb for type, with very nice metal and great mottled green patina.

Ex Bavarian private collection, Germany between 1974-2015.

A fantastic and exceptional thick and heavy ancient silver bracelet, Uratian-Achaemenid period, dating 800-500 BC.

A heavy silver armring evolving into a huge spiral, very complicated and beautiful silverwork for the period.

Size: ca. 7,1 cm...

A puzzling piece made in patinated bronze or silver. The alloy is very white, so it could be silver too. Luristan, 1st. millenium BC. The piece is perhaps a horsebit or horse-equipment. It's decorated with two rams heads on each side of a long pole that has two bases.

Size: 12,8 cm. long and 5,5 cm. high. ca. 102 grams

Ex. North German Private Collection from the 1970s-1980s.

A very large and finely preserved bronze seal with a loop on the back and a cross designs, Bactria, 3rd. millenium BC.

Very impressive round seal with 4 large cross-arms in the openwork style. The seal belongs to one of the varied mostly circular metal “stamp seals” relief cast in bronze or copper alloy, but more rarely in silver or gold, which is classified as so-called “compartmented seal” (a term first used in 1943 by the British archaeologist Stuart Pigott – 1943. P...

Interesting bronze seal of a cone shape with a small top without drill, Western Mesopotamia / Lake Van area, c. 2nd. mill. BC.

First time in stock for this type with is also decorated on the sides with a figure?.

Size: 19 mm. tall and 16 mm...

This week I am posting several Bronze Age weapons from the Middle East including a set of 5, very unique, crescent-hilt daggers from the Marlik culture (circa 1000 BC). These all came from the same private collection. For a nearly identical example see "Arms and Armor from Iran" by Manoucher Khorasani p 50 figure 1 and page 53. This specimen appears to have been cleaned partially so I have included a 35X micrograph of an area of the surface showing crystallization common on ancient bronze...

Interesting and very rare pendant or finial of the Hittite period in Anatolia, c. mid 2nd. millenium BC.

The finial shaped with a bull head on top of another bull.

Size: 6 cm. long and 4,5 cm. tall.

Condition: Fine, earthern green patina, somewhat flaking at the edges, but sound enough.

Ex. Hafnia Coins inventory from c. 1990s.

Rare Seljuk bronze key with an eagle standing on the back of a rooster while pecking at the head of its prey. The rooster has a small crest and protruding eyes.
Birds play an important role in the Seljuk decorative repertoire, and in this case they probably evoke a demonstration of power.
Cast into a two-piece mold and showing a casting seam.
Bronze
Islamic, Seljuq Period, 11th-12th century AD
L. 9.1 cm (3.7 in)
Rare piece. Surface slightly corroded...

This is a very early specimen of a bronze dagger or spear from the ancient middle East. It is solid and stable with only minor losses. It has a plain blade and tang typical of the earliest pieces from the region. It weighs 162 grams and measures roughly 20 cm in length. This is a great piece to start off your collection or to pick up a very early type at a reasonable price.

This specimen is a large bronze dagger or spear from ancient Lebanon. I do not have a specific cultural attribution for it as of yet but often these types get the blanket classification of Luristan. It may also be Marlik. There are some losses to the blade edges but the rest of the piece appears solid and stable with no signs of repair or restoration. It measures right at 32 cm in length and weighs 213 grams.The blade is over a cm thick near the center and a half cm at the tip.

Ancient Near East, Luristan, ca. 1200 to 800 BC. An elaborate bronze cloak pin, cast via the lost wax (cire perdue) process with a Zoomorphic beast terminal.

Used to fasten clothes, in this case due to the unusually heavy fabric and decoration, likely leather for presentation use - perhaps for a very thick cape or leather armor.

Size: 11,2 cm.

Condition: Superb! Wonderful dark-green patina.

Ex German Collection from Hessen, aquired before 1970.

Interesting and very impressive massive armring, the bronze mixed with some silver to make a whiter alloy, Achaemenid or pre-Achaemenid period, ancient near east, 1st. mill. BC.

Thick and massive bracelet with complicated bimetalic design with twisted copper-wire, and larger twisted rods and ending in stylised animal heads. The bracelet with a lovely warm brown find patina.

Size: 83 mm. wide, weighing 407 grams.

Condition: Choice and intact.

Ex...

Ancient Armenian Urartian bronze large bowl for libation (phiale) or a wine bowl, Urartu circa 9th-7th century B.C.

The walls, hammered from a single sheet of bronze, are decorated with 49 vertical ribs in fine repoussé work, radiating from a central roundel. A slightly flaring rim chased with four rings and a continuous scalloped pattern above the ribs...

A large bronze seal with a loop on the back and elaborate design with smaller cross in the center, Bactria, 3rd. millenium BC.

The seal belongs to the group of varied mostly circular metal stamp seals relief cast in bronze or copper alloy, classified as so-called compartmented seals (a term first used in 1943 by the British archaeologist Stuart Pigott – 1943. P. 179–180, fig. 4) Reff...

Extremely fine specimen of the earliest metal daggers known, BMAC / Indus, Chalcolithic period, 4th.-3rd. millenium BC.

Large and impressive dagger in hand. Flat, leafshaped blade and very long, straight tang.

Size: 23,7 cm long.

Condition: Extremely fine, choice green patina and great metal. Uncleaned with earthern deposits.

Ex. Danish private Collection, aquired at the Copenhagen antiques market in the 1990s.

Nicely modeled bronze figure of a horse with elongated body, stiff legs and long tail.
The head shows a flattened muzzle with incised mouth, domed eyes and alert ears.
The tail with hatched incisions...

A superb bronze battle adze-axe, South Caspian Sea type (Eastern region), early 2nd. millenium BC.

An elaborate type with a very sharp depiction of a Human Eye on each side of the rilled socket. Long slender adze and axe blades with wider edges. Rare and exceptional so nice!

Size: c. 14 cm. long.

Condition: Extremely fine, a gem of an axe with lovely red and green patina.

Ex. Private Collection in Denmark, aquired in the 1990s.