Loading, please wait...
LOT 1339
Byzantine Bronze Fish Pendant
6TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
2 in. (6.11 grams, 52 mm).
Bifacial pendant with crosshatching on the body, large ring-and-dot eyes and small raised fins, integral suspension loop above. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
.jpg)
Byzantine Steatite Mount with Saint John the Theologian
10th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £278
Showing a bust of a man dressed in a cloak and with his head turned to look over his right shoulder, possibly depicting St John; rectangular in plan with rounded corners. 2.52 grams, 19 mm
Acquired from Artemis Gallery, 2003. Private collection, Europe. -
Byzantine Terracotta Slipper Oil Lamp
5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Piriform body with raised rim around the filler hole and rounded nozzle, raised frond decoration to the shoulder, and a basal ring. 46.6 grams, 76 mm
From a collection of lamps of a late Scottish gentleman, 1970-1990s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Piriform in profile with a domed filler hole, linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 375 grams, 10.6 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.
