Loading, please wait...

Byzantine Bronze Ring with Jesus Riding a Donkey Byzantine Bronze Ring with Jesus Riding a Donkey Byzantine Bronze Ring with Jesus Riding a Donkey
Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge
Details

LOT 1312

Byzantine Bronze Ring with Jesus Riding a Donkey

6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.

7/8 in. (1.92 grams, 21.99 mm overall, 19.65 x 19.26 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T 1/2, USA 9 3/4, Europe 21.89, Japan 21)).

Comprising a slender hoop with an oval bezel featuring an image of Jesus riding on a donkey before a robed man. [No Reserve]

Provenance

From an English private collection, 1980s.
Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

CONDITION
VETTING:

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.

LOT 1312

Byzantine Bronze Ring with Jesus Riding a Donkey

Sold for (Inc. bp): £91

Print page

RELATED LOTS
  • Byzantine Silver Cross Pendant with Cabochon
    Byzantine Silver Cross Pendant with Cabochon
    Circa 10th-14th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £111

    Round-section arms with ribbing at the finials, central cell set with an agate intaglio with an engraved cross motif, and a central X-motif on the reverse. 2.95 grams, 27 mm



    Acquired on the UK art market from the 1990s. From the private collection of a Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.

    Lot Details

  • Byzantine Greek Fire Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
    Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
    9th-11th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £59

    Bulbous body with domed filler hole, two circumferential bands below the neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 407 grams, 89 mm



    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.

    Lot Details

  • Byzantine Bronze Punch with Menorah and Hebrew Inscription
    Byzantine Bronze Punch with Menorah and Hebrew Inscription
    Circa 5th-6th century A.D.

    Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £428

    Columnar stem with conical base extending to a square-section shank. 18.8 grams, 31 mm



    From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

    Stamping in antiquity and in the Roman Empire was under strict regulations, and it was not limited to food and liquid containers. Bricks and tiles used in construction were impressed with the names of magistrates, workshops, estate owners from whom the material came, and the names of individual makers. Among the myriad Late Roman stamps, a great number were to mark bread or containers holding flour and other foods, as well as a variety of liquids such as wine, oil, fish and fruits preserved in sauces, medical ointments, and even water. It is interesting to note as the Jewish symbols here engraved are very stylised: as mentioned by various scholars, the Jewish representations of shofar and lulav on this category of stamps degenerated in quality in Late Antiquity, and this is why they are variously dated between the 4th and the 7th century.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list