Loading, please wait...
LOT 1126
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
6 in. (980 grams, 15 cm).
Irregular pear-shaped ceramic vessel with domed filler-hole, impressed rings and vertical bars to the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx London, UK, collection, 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'.
Cf. Arendt, W. I., Granaten des 13-14. Jahrhunderts, die an der Wolga gefunden sind, Zeitschrift fur Historische Waffen-und Kostumkunde, 11 (1926-8), p.42; cf. Arendt, W., Die Spharisch-konischen Gefasse aus Gebranntem Ton, ibid; cf. Ayalon, D., Gunpowder and Firearms in the Mamluk Kingdom, London, 1956, p.16.
FootnotesApart 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 1126
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
-
Mughal Dagger with Bone Handle
18th-19th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
The blade with a gently curved profile; handle formed as a horse's hoof with bone scales. 399 grams, 60 cm long
Acquired by the vendors father on the UK art market, before 1990. -
.jpg)
Medieval Iron Kidney Dagger
Late 15th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
Featuring a wedge-shaped blade and a lobed handle; the hilt fitted with an iron plate bending down to form points on each side of the blade, pommel with a discoid brass plate decorated with an incised flower motif. 307 grams, 46 cm
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
The term 'ballock dagger' was used in medieval times to describe a dagger with a grip bearing a considerable resemblance to a phallic symbol. It was also called 'kidney dagger' during the Victorian times. The constant characteristic is the presence of two roundish and symmetrical bulbs at the guard, with the grip itself emerging upward between them and flaring slightly towards the top, sometimes being surmounted by a cap. -
.jpg)
English Medieval Iron Kidney Dagger
Late 15th-early 16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Comprising a single-edged blade, whittle tang and cylindrical grip terminating in a bulbous openwork pommel. 178 grams, 31 cm
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
Carried universally throughout Europe, the kidney dagger or ballock dagger (dague a rognons) seems to have been used by all classes of society. Early effigies and brasses prove that the ballock dagger was a knightly weapon. Later on, the more elaborate daggers suggest that it was also a weapon of the emerging merchant and artisan classes. Of course there are also some very simple and crude examples which would probably have been used by the peasants.
