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LOT 1119
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Nativity Scene
CIRCA 14TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (6.74 grams, 23.33 mm overall, 1.85 x 13.82 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H, USA 3 3/4, Europe 6.18, Japan 6)).
Comprising a thick rectangular-section hoop and two overlapping discoid bezels, the upper one with a depiction of the Nativity. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
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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Late Byzantine Silver Spoon with 'St Peter' Inscription on the Handle
Late 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
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.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Piriform body with pointed base and domed mouth, stamped linear decoration on the upper body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 505 grams, 11.9 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. -
Byzantine Silver Priest's Ladle Pair
Circa 10th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £293
Each with a shallow discoid bowl and flared rim, round-section shank; one with an integral suspension ring. 58.3 grams total, 16.2-16.5 cm
Ex property of a London gentleman; part of a Mayfair collection formed in the 1970s and 1980s. Private collection, Suffolk, UK.
