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LOT 1098
Byzantine Gold Openwork Beads
12TH-13TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (13.8 grams, 22 mm each).
Each a spherical cage with ropework texturing, granule at each node; oval glass bead within. [2]
ProvenanceAcquired on the Swiss art market, 1998.
Private collection, Europe.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1098
Byzantine Gold Openwork Beads
Estimate £650 - 850€750 - 990 (for guidance only)$880 - 1,150 (for guidance only)
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Large Byzantine Bronze Reliquary Pendant Cross
10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Enkolpion with hinged barrel-shaped loop; incised nimbate figure to each face in orans pose within a decorative border. 109 grams, 12.5 cm
Ex DRG Coins and Antiquities, Bishops Stortford, Essex, UK. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s. Accompanied by a handwritten dealer's ticket. -
Judaic Bronze Ring with Menorah
Circa 3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £325
With D-section hoop supporting a discoid bezel with decoratively notched circumference; possibly later engraved with a menorah. 2.34 grams, 18.62 mm overall, 17.24 x 15.16 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)
North American collection, 1990s-2000s. Ex property of a Surrey gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Piriform in profile with domed mouth, impressed vertical line decoration on the upper body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 725 grams, 15.5 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.
