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LOT 0175
Byzantine Gold Marriage Ring with Facing Couple
6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (10.51 grams, 23.35 mm overall, 19.57 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)).
With integral discoid bezel displaying a male and female facing intaglio bust, Greek text below 'OMONOIA', (concord. agreement, harmony).
ProvenanceFrom the late Alison Barker collection, 1970-1990.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12531-231455.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 489, for type.
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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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
A piriform missile with domed filler-hole, impressed concentric circles to the body, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 442 grams, 11.7 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Byzantine Bronze Pendant Chain Necklace
6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Trichinopoly cord with coiled wire finials, hook-and-eye fastening. 18.3 grams, 57.2 cm
Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The chain is a multiple 'loop-in-loop' type, a general type of necklace, especially in use in the Romano-Egyptian Jewellery of 3rd-7th century A.D. The early examples were done in Alexandria and the production lasted until the Arab conquest of 641 A.D. -
Byzantine Gold Ring with Foliate Motifs
Circa 11th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £444
Comprising a flat-section hoop with a starburst motif to the base; openwork shoulders and a square bezel with a pellet to each corner, the bezel engraved with foliate motifs. 3.65 grams, 19.99 mm overall, 18.00 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)
Acquired from London galleries during the 1990s. From the jewellery collection of a London, UK, gentleman. Accompanied by a previous typed cataloguing card. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Some rings from the Balkan territories of the Eastern Empire (for example the ring from Dobrača) bear a square thickened bezel engraved with schematic representations. What sets them apart are the widened shoulders emphasised by a plastic rib and the raised and flattened head, which places them in the group of rings which dates mainly to the 11th century (from the end of the 10th to the first decades of the 12th century).
