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LOT 0210
Byzantine Age Gilt Bronze Horse Bridle Decoration Group
9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/4 - 5 1/4 in. (357 grams total, 8.2-13.3 cm).
Comprising: a domed cap with lateral scoops and attachment holes to the edges, a central applied tapering tube with flared rim; twelve gently domed disc-scales with two attachment points. [12]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
LiteratureCF. Gorelik, M., ‘Arms and Armour in South-Eastern Europe in the Second Half of the First Millennium AD’ in Nicolle, D., Companion to Medieval Arms and Armour, Woodbridge, 2002, pp.127-148, for type.
FootnotesThe cap is provided with a plume-holder and two lateral slots for the ears; the scales decorate the rest of the bridle or harness.
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LOT 0210
Byzantine Age Gilt Bronze Horse Bridle Decoration Group
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine Silver Bearded 'Hidden Face' Belt Mount
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Hollow-formed plaque with lobed outer edge, scooped sides and notched band at the inner edge; openwork circle and crescent motifs; with the remains of the original leather strap. 38.15 grams, 42 mm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine Bronze Oil Lamp with Chain and Chi Rho
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
With a carinated, round body and long, narrow nozzle with a flaring finial, a scalloped rim around the circular wick hole; small circular filling hole with a hinged, domed lid; the elaborate trumpet-shaped handle with a hexagonal lotus flower finial with knops, and a raised Chi Rho at the forward edge; looped suspension chain with a hook, and a square socket at the base to accommodate a stand pricket. 1.08 kg, 40 cm
Private collection, Stortford, England, 1982. with Christie's, New York, 9 June 2011, no.203. 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 number no.13194-250130. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Piriform body with circumferential bands and impressed motifs on the shoulder and wide neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 562 grams, 10.3 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s. 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.
