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LOT 1422
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Figure of an Empress
CIRCA 7TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (5.18 grams, 28.15 mm overall, 21.39 x 23.16 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Y, USA 12, Europe 27.51, Japan 26)).
With oblate bezel, incuse facing female bust wearing a diadem.
ProvenancePrivate collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 488, 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 1422
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Figure of an Empress
Estimate £120 - 170€140 - 200 (for guidance only)$160 - 230 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£60 (EUR 70; USD 81) ‡+BP*
-
Byzantine Silver Merchant's Ring with Monogram
Circa 6th-7th century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
With D-section hoop and flat ellipsoid bezel, incuse complex monogram including crosses potent, omega, rho, epsilon and other characters. 3.88 grams, 23.33 mm overall, 18.75 x 20.20 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)
Private collection, 1980s. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. -
Byzantine Rock Crystal Pendant Seal with Engraved Cross
Circa 7th-8th century A.D. or laterEstimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Bullet-shaped with flat top and transverse piercing; underside with incuse wreath border, cross pommy and flanking legend 'ΓΛ / ΛΡ'. 5.49 grams, 19 mm
Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 619 grams, 12.8 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.
