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LOT 0182
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. [13, No Reserve]
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 0182
Byzantine Age Gilt Bronze Horse Bridle Decoration Group
Estimate £1,500 - 2,000€1,740 - 2,320 (for guidance only)$2,030 - 2,700 (for guidance only)
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Eastern Roman Bronze Amulet with Saint Spearing the Dragon
Circa 14th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £10
Oval pendant with integral suspension loop, one side with armoured Saint Theodore or Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon with a barbed spear, a lion beneath and a Greek inscription on the upper edge 'EICΘEOCONIKѠNTAKAK = εἷς θεός ὁ νικῶν τά κακ(ά)' = the one god who defeats evil; the reverse with four animals (two lions, a snake, an ibis and a scorpion) reaching towards an altar or a boat, a Greek inscription above 'ПІΝѠCAΒAѠΘΜIΧAΗΛ' = I drink, The God of the hosts, Michael. 8.77 grams, 56 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Large Byzantine Bronze Ring with Bird
6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £50 - 70 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Comprising a slender large hoop and a discoid bezel with a stylised standing bird. 2.34 grams, 23.12 mm overall, 18.28 x 20.50 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Bulbous body with pointed base and domed mouth, two circumferential bands on the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 378 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.
