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LOT 1405
Byzantine Bronze Ring Bezel of Saint Holding Staff
CIRCA 10TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (1.93 grams, 18.33 mm).
Ellipsoid in plan with low-relief robed and nimbate figure holding a spear or staff across the body. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Wamser, L., Die Welt von Byzanz - Europas Östliches Erbe, München, 2004, item 659, for 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
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1405
Byzantine Bronze Ring Bezel of Saint Holding Staff
Estimate £50 - 70€58 - 81 (for guidance only)$68 - 95 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) ‡+BP*
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Byzantine Seal Matrix with Inscription
Circa 11th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
With inscription '+ΘKEB / OΘTO / ΔΟΛΟ / ΤΘΛΑ' for 'ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ ΒΟΗΘΕI ΤΩ ΔΟΥΛΩ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΛΑΔΕ' (Mother of God, help Lades, the servant of God). 13.1 grams, 18 mm
From an important collection formed before 1988, London and Geneva.
The stamp seals that have survived in large numbers from Byzantium are objects a few centimetres high and conical in shape, featuring a sealing surface at the lower end and a pendant at the upper end. They served the same function as signet rings and were used to seal everyday objects, primarily for personal purposes, using wax and other soft materials. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole, the shoulder with an impressed band of rosettes and two circumferential bands above; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 681 grams, 12 cm
Ex important collection of weaponry, London, UK, 1980-1990s. 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. -
Byzantine Bronze Weight with Saint Nicholas
Circa 16th-17th century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Discoid trade weight with rounded sidewall and beaded border; low-relief bust of a nimbate robed saint holding a book; lateral legend ''OVIKOΛAOC' (St. Nicholas). 65.9 grams, 46 mm
Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.
