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LOT 0200
Byzantine Gold Ring with Monogram
6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (3.29 grams, 17.57 mm overall, 15.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I 1/2, USA 4 1/2, Europe 8.07, Japan 7)).
Round-section hoop supporting a disc bezel with engraved monogram incorporating a cross potent and the letters N, O, P, E, Z and others.
ProvenanceFrom an early 20th century collection based on the collector's ticket.
Property of a Californian, USA, collector.
This lot 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 487, 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): £104
Piriform in profile with domed mouth; a circumferential scalloped band to the shoulder with impressed pellet to each petal, a band of ring-and-dot motifs above; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 434 grams, 10.9 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.
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. -
Roman and Byzantine Ceramic Oil Lamp Collection
4th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising: a squat lamp with short nozzle, raised scrolls surrounding the hole, raised four-petalled flower motif surrounding the filler hole with raised bosses, the base with concentric circles and a maker's mark; a slipper-shaped lamp with sharply raised linear decoration and Greek inscription on the upper body. 173 grams total, 9.2-10.4 cm
with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Piriform in profile with narrow point and domed mouth; the body decorated with annulets and concentric circles; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 795 grams, 14.5 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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.
