PPN10) BAKTRIAN (LURISTAN), c. 2000-1000 BC, bronze pin lot, 70-113mm long,  various head types, from Darel, NWFP, 6 pcs, 1 missing business end, 1 bent shaft, 2 have corroded shafts, 2 are exceptionally choice,  $53.00 sold 2/13/2008
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s3) PRE-GREEK?, before 350 BC, bronze kohl applicator (salai), 89mm long, pomegranite shaped (or maybe its a poppy seed head?) head, tip broken off,  F $29.50 sold
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s2) GREEK - GANDHARA, c. 300 BC - 400 AD, bronze kohl applicator (salai), seminude draped standing male figure, 32mm tall, pin missing, F $48.00 sold
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s4) GREEK - GANDHARA, c. 300 BC - 400 AD, bronze kohl applicator (salai), draped standing female figure, 31mm tall, only 9mm of pin remains, F $55.00 sold
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PMX16. GREEK-SCYTHIAN?, c. 300-50 BC, bronze miniature sword, 58mm long, possibly a salai (kohl pick), unknown location in NWF, aVF $70.00 sold
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s5) GREEK - ISLAMIC, c. 300 BC - 1700 AD,  bronze kohl applicators (salai).  Actually I think these are probably ancient, possibly pre-Greek, but my basis for so thinking is mostly the type of patina/corrosion.  The simplicity of the design doesn't give much to go on.

a) 76mm long, head is a round knob with a flaring base, complete, F $33.00 sold
b) 83mm long, head is a round knob with a double flared base, some linear incised decoration, complete, bit of corrosion at tip, F $33.00 sold
c) 97mm long, head is a round knob with a double flared base, some linear incised decoration, complete, bit of corrosion at tip, F $33.00 sold
d) 116mm long, head is a square knob with a quadruple spindle base, complete, pin slightly bent, corrosion at tip, F $33.00 sold
e) 118mm long, head is a flower bud with a double flared base, some incised decoration, complete, some corrosion on pin, F $33.00 sold
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s7) HEPHTHALITE-SHAHI?, c. 400-1000 AD?, bronze kohl applicator (salai), 29x24mm head is like a trident, central tine elongated with a round knob on the end.  This would appear to be a strongly Hindu motif.
a) 70mm overall, tip of pin broken, F $21.00
b) head only, tip of a lateral tine is missing, F $5.00
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s8) GANDHARA-ISLAMIC?, c. 200-1400 AD?, bronze kohl applicator (salai), 27x17mm, head only in shape of a hand.  The open hand has significance in Hindu, Buddhist, & Islamic iconography.  This is pretty crude in terms of modelling, and the patina makes me think BC.  Very mysterious. F $30.00 sold
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s9) GANDHARA-ISLAMIC?, c. 200-1400 AD?, bronze kohl applicator (salai),
a) 128mm, head is a "hand" with 4 stubby "fingers," tip is bulbous.  Beard comb?  Back scratcher?  My gut feeling is that this is mid-late medieval, complete, VF $42.00
b) 87mm, bulbous tips on both ends, I think possibly late medieval, nice patina, complete, "F" $21.00
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Some bronze kohl applicators (salai) with bird figure head.   Birds seem to be the most common motif for this and similar objects.  I have no trustworthy references for them.  When I asked my supplier I got no useful information.  I had thought for a while that they were early Islamic, as much from the frequency of occurrence as anything else, but that was just an educated guess.  Now I have 2 bird topped jar lids (see below) that actually seem to have some features that remind me of ancient Indus and Baluchi culture.  I have since seen small metal bird things definitively attributed to Indus, and I have seen others with Arabic writing on them, so it is clear that the same motif was used in the region over a period of 2 millennia.

s10) All of these have flattened bodies,
a) 24x26mm bird with rooster comb & leaf-shaped wings, 68mm overall, pin broken, rough green patina, VG $12.00 sold
b) 19x27mm bird with rooster comb & leaf-shaped wings, oversized eyes, tiny piercing through beak, 63mm overall, pin broken, smooth black patina, VF $21.00 sold
c) 23x25mm bird with rooster comb & leaf-shaped wings, oversized eyes, 42mm overall, pin broken, smooth black patina, VF $19.00 sold
d) 22x32mm bird with rooster comb & leaf-shaped wings, 32mm overall, pin broken, rough green patina, VG $9.00 sold
e) 20x29mm bird with rooster comb & leaf-shaped wings, oversized eyes, 34mm overall, pin broken, smooth green patina, aF $10.00 sold
f) 22x27mm bird with rooster comb, wings represented by 3 parallel dotted lines, head only, VF $13.00 sold
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s11) g) 21x27mm bird with rooster comb, body a bit wider than those above, 33mm overall, pin broken, rough, G $6.00 sold
h) 24x28mm bird with rudimentary comb & leaf shaped wings, oversized eyes, well modelled body, 38mm overall, pin broken, moderately smooth black & green patina, aF $12.00 sold
i) 22x28mm bird with rudimentary comb & leaf-shaped wings, fully modelled body, oversized eyes, tiny piercing through beak, head only, a bit rough, aVF $12.00 sold
j) 25x29mm bird with rudimentary comb & leaf-shaped wings, fully modelled body, oversized eyes, head only, smooth black patina, VF $18.00 sold
k) 21x29mm bird with rudimentary comb & leaf-shaped wings, fully modelled body, tiny piercing through beak, 50mm overall, pin broken, smooth green patina, aF $14.00 sold
l) 18x22mm flying duck with backswept leaf shaped wings, head only, smooth black patina, VF $23.00 sold
m) 21x23mm bird with diamond shaped tail, no features at all, on conical base, surmounting iron pin, 48mm overall, pin broken, half rough black patina, $30.00 sold
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The next groups form a category based on decoration - simple linear incisions, and patina - mostly smooth and black.  I tend towards Islamic as an attribution, possibly 1000-1600 AD.

s12)
n) 109mm long, square profile handle with herringbone decoration topped by a knob, complete, black patina, VF $33.00 sold 9/6/2015
o) 128mm long, square profile handle with a "stacked brick" pattern & a few dotted sections, conical top, complete, somewhat rough black patina, aVF $33.00 sold 9/6/2015
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s13)
p) 113mm long, square handle with herringbone decoration, hole at end, complete, about half smooth black patina, VF $27.00 sold
q) 110mm long, square profile handle with a "stacked brick" pattern & a few dotted sections, hole at top, complete, mostly rough black patina, F $24.00 sold
r) 114mm long, square profile handle with a "stacked brick" pattern & a few dotted sections, hole at top, complete, slightly bent, rough black patina, VG $20.00 sold
s) 116mm long, square profile handle with a "stacked brick" pattern & a few diamond decorated  sections, hole at top, complete, slightly bent, about half smooth black patina, VF $27.00 sold
t) 114mm long, round profile handle with a "stacked balls & rings" pattern, hole at top, complete, slightly bent, mostly half smooth black patina, VF $30.00 sold
u) 52mm long, round profile "ball on stacked cups" handle, hole at top, unusual curved pin, complete, fine smooth black patina, VF $30.00 sold
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s14) These are double ended, square profile handle in middle.  Hygienic concept - one side for each eye.
v) 108mm long, undecorated handle, ancient?  Complete, rough green patina, F $21.00 sold
w) 103mm long, handle has incised decoration, medieval? Complete, smooth black patina, VF $21.00 sold
x) 85mm long, double ended, square profile central handle with incised & gouged decoration, c. WWI?  Looks like made of shell case metal, one pin broken, VF $3.00 sold
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