Ancient Roman Iron Large Military Barbed Arrowhead (No reserve price)
12
days
19
hours
48
minutes
17
seconds
Current bid
€ 7
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 210 - € 250
 | €7 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €4 | |
 | €3 | |
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Large Military Barbed Arrowhead, an ancient Roman iron arrowhead from the 1st–3rd century AD, with a long tang, triangular head and backward-pointing barbs, about 120 mm long, in good condition, authentic/original, acquired from a dealer at a fair in the Netherlands.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Large ancient Roman military iron arrowhead with a long, narrow tang, triangular head and two pronounced backward-pointing barbs, designed to make removal from the target more difficult.
The tang would originally have been inserted into a wooden shaft and secured with binding or adhesive. The pointed central blade and sharply projecting barbs indicate that the arrowhead was intended for warfare or hunting rather than target practice.
-> Archery formed an important part of Roman warfare, particularly among specialised auxiliary units recruited from regions with established archery traditions. Iron arrowheads were produced in several forms, with their shape adapted to different military and hunting purposes.
Length: ± 120 mm
Condition: good solid and preserved condition. Minor surface irregularities and signs of wear consistent with age and use.
Certificate of Authenticity: available upon request (pdf-format) for sale price of € 100 or more.
-> The Roman army had a wide variety of arrowheads that were designed for a special purpose. Narrow shaped blades are more tailored to penetrate armour or leather. Wider blades are more suitable for attacking the flesh and adding barbs to the arrowhead the damage to the flesh was increased.
-> Barbed arrowheads were designed to remain lodged in flesh, clothing or shields after impact, with the backward-pointing projections making them more difficult to remove.. Roman archers and auxiliary units used a wide variety of iron arrowheads, including simple leaf-shaped, trilobate and barbed forms. Their effectiveness depended not only on the shape of the head, but also on the power of the bow and the skill of the archer.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Large ancient Roman military iron arrowhead with a long, narrow tang, triangular head and two pronounced backward-pointing barbs, designed to make removal from the target more difficult.
The tang would originally have been inserted into a wooden shaft and secured with binding or adhesive. The pointed central blade and sharply projecting barbs indicate that the arrowhead was intended for warfare or hunting rather than target practice.
-> Archery formed an important part of Roman warfare, particularly among specialised auxiliary units recruited from regions with established archery traditions. Iron arrowheads were produced in several forms, with their shape adapted to different military and hunting purposes.
Length: ± 120 mm
Condition: good solid and preserved condition. Minor surface irregularities and signs of wear consistent with age and use.
Certificate of Authenticity: available upon request (pdf-format) for sale price of € 100 or more.
-> The Roman army had a wide variety of arrowheads that were designed for a special purpose. Narrow shaped blades are more tailored to penetrate armour or leather. Wider blades are more suitable for attacking the flesh and adding barbs to the arrowhead the damage to the flesh was increased.
-> Barbed arrowheads were designed to remain lodged in flesh, clothing or shields after impact, with the backward-pointing projections making them more difficult to remove.. Roman archers and auxiliary units used a wide variety of iron arrowheads, including simple leaf-shaped, trilobate and barbed forms. Their effectiveness depended not only on the shape of the head, but also on the power of the bow and the skill of the archer.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Details
Culture
Ancient Roman
Century/timeframe
1st - 3rd century AD
Name of object
Large Military Barbed Arrowhead
Acquired from
Dealer at a fair
Year acquired
2026
Material
Iron
Country acquired from
Netherlands
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Dealer at a fair
Previous owner - year acquired
2026
Previous owner - country acquired from
Netherlands
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
