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LOT 1060
Byzantine Bronze Ring with Warrior Saints
11TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (5.54 grams, 22.88 mm overall, 19.22 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)).
D-section hoop and a raised circular bezel with two nimbate warrior figures. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000.
From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Đurović, I., Средњовековни накит из збирки Народног музеја Крагујевац (Medieval jewelry from the collections of the National Museum Kragujevac, in Serbian), Крагујевац, 2012, fig.58, for the type.
FootnotesThese banded rings, made of bronze sheet with a flattened ellipsoidal head, could be decorated with geometric or animal ornaments executed by shallow carving, or human figures. In this circumstance, the bezel is decorated with stylised images, most probably military saints, who were asked for protection and blessing.
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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Dame Joan Evans, DBE, FSA, FRHistS, enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an author and historian. She was appointed the president of the Society of Antiquaries in 1959, the first woman to hold this position, serving until 1964. From 1948 to 1951, Joan Evans served as President of the Royal Archaeological Institute. She received the Society’s gold medal in 1973. Joan Evans was honoured with a host of honorary degrees and fellowships, as well as fellowships of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Literature. She was a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur, and was appointed a Dame of the British Empire in 1976. She served as a trustee of both the London and the British museums, and as a member of the advisory council of the Victoria and Albert Museum. -
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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 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
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Piriform in profile with a band of impressed motifs above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 500 grams, 13.2 cm
From a specialist collection, London, UK, 1990-2000s. 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.
