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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.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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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 Bronze Bracelet with Saints and Inscription
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Penannular band with discoid lobes and finials, punched leaf motifs; impressed nimbate saint on galloping horse; two nimbate saints flanking a throne; legend '·OKA· TOΠCO / NENBO / NΘI' 14.3 grams, 64 mm
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Early Byzantine Miniature Votive Axehead with Dolphin and Punched Inscription
4th-5th century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
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UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Ovoid in profile with domed filler hole, linear decoration with a band of annulets below the neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 408 grams, 10.9 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.
