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_900x900.jpg "Byzantine Bronze Ring with Monogram")
_200x200.jpg "Byzantine Bronze Ring with Monogram")
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LOT 1113
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Monogram
13TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (5.76 grams, 24.25 mm overall, 20.14 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)).
An expanding hoop with decorated shoulders, an octagonal bezel with a monogram, composed of the Greek letters 'Χ [ΑΙΡΕ] ΔΥωΝ[Υ]C (?)' = Be glad Dyoniys. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000.
From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Wamser, L., Die Welt von Byzanz - Europas Östliches Erbe, München, 2004, item 682, for the type.
FootnotesThe plate and hoop of these rings were soldered together. This system probably originated only in the late period of the Eastern Roman Empire, as evidenced by the faceting of the sides and the irregularity in the letters forming the name.
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 1113
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Monogram
Estimate £40 - 60€46 - 70 (for guidance only)$54 - 81 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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Byzantine Bronze Ring with Warrior Saints
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £60
D-section hoop and a large oval bezel with two nimbate warriors holding shields and a spear. 5.83 grams, 22.35 mm overall, 18.92 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Late Byzantine Silver Spoon with 'St Peter' Inscription on the Handle
Late 6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Featuring a large, shallow piriform bowl, stepped junction with a boar's head above, a hexagonal-section stem extending from behind the boar's neck bearing a Greek inscription 'TTETPOY' (of Peter); a balustered handle with a cuboid, striated finial. 60.77 grams, 21.5 cm
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, Surrey, UK.
The inscription suggests that the spoon may have had a liturgical purpose, associated with the Holy Communion. Still today in the Orthodox Church, the Body and Blood of Christ are dispensed with similar liturgical objects. The name Peter can be associated with the church, or simply with the owner of the liturgical artefact. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Bulbous body with pointed base and domed mouth, two circumferential bands above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 403 grams, 10.5 cm
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.
