Loading, please wait...
LOT 1390
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
10TH-13TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/8 in. (472 grams, 13 cm).
Piriform body decorated with concentric circles, with sphero-conical filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.
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; the shape finds correspondence with a fragment of a clay granade from Rhodes (4th EBA storerooms, inv. ПХ 2832), cf. Various, Byzantium and the Arabs,Thessaloniki, 2011, p.64.
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. 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 1390
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
-
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group
14th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising tanged arrowheads, including barbed and leaf-shaped examples. 158 grams total, 8-10.5 cm
Acquired 1990s. From the collection of a late Japanese weaponry collector.
The arrowheads seems to belong to the subtypes A and B of the Khorasani classification. They are mainly small triangular arrowheads with rounded and barbed shoulders. Some have angular or rounded midribs. The characteristic is also the cylindrical stem and the rectangular-sectioned tang. Many similar arrowheads were found in the Marlik excavations. -
Babylonian Bronze Duck-Billed Axehead
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Duck-billed shaft-hole axehead featuring a curved, tongue-shaped blade with two voided 'eyes' and a raised median ridge; repaired. 168 grams, 10.3 cm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK. -
.jpg)
Viking Age Bronze Sword Scabbard Chape Collection
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Comprising: one heater-shaped with openwork raven motif to each face; one similar with openwork raven enmeshed in tendrils; one with fleur-de-lys to the centre of each upper edge and a lobed spur to each side; one with openwork quatrefoil to each face and knop finial to the apex. 145 grams total, 55-85 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
