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LOT 1383
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/4 in. (472 grams, 10.7 cm).
With broad shoulder, short neck, domed square-shaped lip and conical base, broad medial band, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and 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'.
See 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; Ayalon, D., Gunpowder and Firearms in the Mamluk Kingdom, London, 1956, p.16; Raimondo, C., 'Un deposito di granate dal castrum bizantino di Santa Maria del Mare (Catanzaro)' in Mélanges de l'Ecole française de Rome. Moyen-Age, tome 112, n°1, Roma, 2000, pp. 305-310.
FootnotesThe effectiveness of these grenades was much lower than the fire liquid thrown by the siphons. They were thrown by hand as it is evident by the presence of some sort of handle on the body of some of them to better allow the grip of the object (Raimondo, 2000 Plate 11a; fig. 4, c-d). Nothing excludes that they were also launched at more long distance with catapults or other war engines. The presence of a fuse for triggering the explosion is evidenced by the narrow mouth of the largest part of the grenades.
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LOT 1383
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
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Greek Bronze Socketted Spear with Iron Head
12th-10th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
With foliate head and short tubular socketted shaft. 119 grams total, 15 cm
Ex German collection, Cologne, 1980-1990s.
Snodgrass assigns the Athenian iron spearheads to the type A, i.e. spearheads with a leaf-shaped blade, a long socket and a midrib running to the tip. The bronze ones were assigned to typologies C – small, with a leaf-shaped blade (like the present specimen) - and D – with the socket as long as the blade, rounded shoulders and pronounced midrib. Both socket types were beaten round a cylindrical bar, a conservative method to produce bronze sockets even if the head was made of iron. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead Group
12th-9th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising arrowheads of various types, mainly leaf-shaped and barbed types, with midribs. 216 grams total, 12.2 - 18 cm
Acquired 1990s. From the collection of a late Japanese weaponry collector.
The barbed arrowhead seems to belong to the type V, subcategory type C, according to the classification of Khorasani and Negahban. In the four categories of triangular bronze arrowheads from Luristan, Marlik and Northern Iran individuated by Negahban, subtypes C and D of type V are larger arrow or javelin heads, C large triangular arrowheads with barbed shoulders and D with lanceolate shape and rounded midrib. The straight shoulders recalls a Marlik typology (see Khorasani, 2006, p.307, fig.379). -
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Khazar Iron Sabre with Gilt Bronze Cross Guard
9th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
A single-edged hand-forged sabre with a gently curving blade, an iron band welded beneath the cross guard, together with a tongue along the side of the blade; the separate gilt cross guard with spherical ornamented finials to the quillons, the central panel with a stylised face flanked by a pair of leaping lions biting the top of the head, the other side with a lozenge within a ropework frame. 610 grams, 80.5 cm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector. Accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.114437-196034.
This exceptional sabre shows similarity with examples from the Caucasus and Kuban regions. The blade could be Khazar-Magyar, and certainly its best parallels are the specimens from Verchne-Szaltovo area. According to M. Gorelik, some of these sabres were produced by the Kabarians, a breakaway tribe from the Khazar State, who formed an alliance with the Magyars. The extra band welded beneath the quillons, together with the side tongue, not only protected the scabbard from being cut by the blade but, more importantly, defended the warrior’s fingers which were wrapped around the quillons when fighting.
