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LOT 1117
Byzantine Bronze Reliquary Cross Pendant
CIRCA 9TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (21.7 grams, 62 mm).
Enkolpion reliquary cross with hinge and suspension ring above; obverse with low-relief Jesus in stavrosis pose, nimbate and dressed in a robe; reverse with robed Mother of God in orans pose. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Den of Antiquity, Cambridge, UK.
From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s.
Accompanied by a handwritten dealer's ticket.
Cf. Pitarakis, B., Les Croix-Reliquaires Pectorales Byzantines en Bronze, Paris, 2006, item 125.
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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Ex Den of Antiquity, Cambridge, UK. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s. Accompanied by a typed dealer's ticket. -
Large Byzantine Bronze Reliquary Cross Pendant
Circa 900-1200 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Enkolpion with hinged suspension bar, each face with nimbate robed figure in orans pose with four busts surrounding. 49 grams, 94 mm
Ex DRG Coins and Antiquities, Bishops Stortford, Essex, UK. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s. Accompanied by a handwritten ticket. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
A piriform missile with domed filler-hole (chipped), segmented flanges to the sidewall and impressed texture; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 844 grams, 13 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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.
