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LOT 0205
Byzantine Gold Ring with Monogram
CIRCA 6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (3.25 grams, 21.84 mm overall, 16.96 x 17.80 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)).
Oblate bezel with incuse monogram comprising 'IΦωY' and a cross.
ProvenancePrivate collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Baldini Lippolis, I., L'Oreficeria nell'Impero di Costantinopoli tra IV e VII secolo (the Jewellery in the Empire of Constantinople between the IV and VII centuries, in Italian), Bari, 1999, pp. 199, 199ff, for the type, especially no.15, from Syracuse.
FootnotesThe ring belongs to the category of Eastern Roman rings with an applied bezel, a type particularly common between the 6th and 8th centuries AD. Although some letters have been effaced, this ring appears to bear the monogram '[TΡ]ΙΦω[ΝO]Y' (of Trifonos).
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LOT 0205
Byzantine Gold Ring with Monogram
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£600 (EUR 696; USD 810) ‡+BP*
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Byzantine Green Glazed Sgraffito Footed Bowl
13th-14th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £10
Shallow type with dished body and ring to underside; rounded rim and incised border, four sgraffito crescent motifs with undulating line above each. 301 grams, 16 cm wide
From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s. -
Byzantine Mould-Blown Translucent Pale Green Glass Three-Handled Jug
5th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £550
Hexagonal body with a short cylindrical neck and a flaring rim, three applied handles extending from the rim to the shoulders, geometric decoration on the panels. 58 grams, 93 mm high
Roman glass from an important London collection, acquired from the early 1980s. From an important London glass collection, 1990s. Accompanied by a typed previous catalogue information page with provenance.
These octagonal or hexagonal jugs or jars were possibly made as tokens for pilgrims visiting the holy sites in Jerusalem or for use in burial rites. In the late 6th and early 7th century A.D., they were mass-produced in moulds for the pilgrim trade in the Holy Land, in the vicinity of the holy city, but they were found all around the Mediterranean, especially in islands like Cyprus, an important place on the sea route that brought pilgrims to Jerusalem. Such vessels were probably filled with oil from holy sites and sold to pilgrims. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 619 grams, 12.8 cm
Ex important collection of weaponry, London, UK, 1980-1990s. 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.