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LOT 0964
Byzantine Bronze Inscribed Weight
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (25.8 grams, 25 mm).
Tabular in form, obverse with eight-rayed starburst in a frame, reverse with incised text. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
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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Byzantine Inscribed Bronze Bell for St Blaise
8th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Domed high-tin bronze with pierced lug suspension and thickened rim; incised Greek inscription to the shoulder 'ΟΑΓΗΟCΒΛΑCHOC' (Hagios Blasios). 35.6 grams, 46 mm
Acquired in the 1980s. From the collection of a London antiquarian.
The name is normally anglicised as 'St Blaise', an early bishop who was martyred in 316 AD in Sebaste, Armenia. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Piriform body with vertical ribs and impressed roundels across the whole surface, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 662 grams, 15.5 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. 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. -
Byzantine Terracotta Bread Stamp
10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
Discoid in plan with integral stub handle; central Maltese cross within a herringbone ring. 319 grams, 95 mm
From the collection of Sir Daniel Donohue [1919-2014] and the Countess Bernardine [1904-1968], Los Angeles, USA; the collection was assembled in the 1950-1960s, but before March 1968. with Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, no.310 [Part]. Acquired on the English art market, 2011. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages.