Byzantine Bronze Cross Pendant with Corpus Christi

Bulbous body with domed filler hole, two circumferential bands below the neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 407 grams, 89 mm



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.

Columnar stem with conical base extending to a square-section shank. 18.8 grams, 31 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Stamping in antiquity and in the Roman Empire was under strict regulations, and it was not limited to food and liquid containers. Bricks and tiles used in construction were impressed with the names of magistrates, workshops, estate owners from whom the material came, and the names of individual makers. Among the myriad Late Roman stamps, a great number were to mark bread or containers holding flour and other foods, as well as a variety of liquids such as wine, oil, fish and fruits preserved in sauces, medical ointments, and even water. It is interesting to note as the Jewish symbols here engraved are very stylised: as mentioned by various scholars, the Jewish representations of shofar and lulav on this category of stamps degenerated in quality in Late Antiquity, and this is why they are variously dated between the 4th and the 7th century.

Keeled body with wide nozzle and stub handle at the rear, the body and discus with dense, low-relief decoration of wavy line with berries and foliage, the base with a spoked wheel. 75.5 grams, 89 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.