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LOT 1331
Byzantine Bronze Buckle with Decorative Plate
8TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/4 in. (19.60 grams, 83 mm).
Buckle plate with rectangular body and hinged loop, broad tongue; reserved profile figure of a peacock enmeshed with tendrils and globe
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Papanikola-Bakirtzi, D. (ed.), Everyday life in Byzantium. Byzantine Hours. Works and days in Byzantium, Exhibition catalogue, Thessaloniki, White Tower October 2001-January 2002, Athens, 2002, no.483, for the type.
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
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Byzantine Period Terracotta Oil Lamp
Circa 5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Piriform body with short nozzle and a stub handle on the rear, raised linear decoration on the body, base with a sunwheel motif. 100 grams, 89 mm
From the collection of a Yorkshire, UK gentleman, items collected in the Holy Land in the 1960s. -
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Byzantine Gold Openwork Earring Pair
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,560
Each a crescent plaque with beaded borders, sprung hook and catch; openwork foliage motif. 6.98 grams total, 28 mm each
Property of a North American gentleman, London, UK, 1990-2010. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Bulbous, undecorated body with flat base; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 660 grams, 10.4 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.
