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LOT 0173
Byzantine Ceramic Pilgrim's Flask with Christ and Donkey
CIRCA 6TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (30.3 grams, 71 mm).
Lentoid in section and teardrop-shaped in profile with flared mouth and pierced shoulders, low-relief image of a nimbate man riding a donkey to each face.
ProvenanceEx Mayfair, London, UK, gallery, 2000s.
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 0173
Byzantine Ceramic Pilgrim's Flask with Christ and Donkey
Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
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Christian 'Simon Stylite' Terracotta Pilgrim's Token
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Plano-convex in section with impressed design of a nimbate figure crouching atop a column, flanked by levitating angels and standing nimbate figures, all within a pelleted border. 13 grams, 32 mm
Ex important Christian collection, 1970s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
A piriform missile with domed and segmented filler-hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 792 grams, 15 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. 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 Inscribed Silver Ring
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
A D-section hoop with slightly flared shoulders and trumpet-shaped discoid bezel; hatched bands to the shoulders, four lines of enigmatic Greek text [ΧΥΙ ΑΓΓ ΙΧXΙ] to the bezel. 7.53 grams, 27.13 mm overall, 21.06 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.77, Japan 22)
Property of a private collector; acquired before 1975.
