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LOT 1385
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/4 in. (448 grams, 10.7 cm).
Piriform missile with domed filler-hole, tongue-shaped petals radiating from the filler-hole, each with an annulet and a ring-and-dot motif, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a specialist London, UK, arms and armour 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 Gefäße 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. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1385
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
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Western Asiatic Bronze Sword
Late 2nd-early 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
The hilt with mushroom-shaped pommel, round grip, crescentic guard with double horizontal bars, long sloping blade with rounded mid-ridge. 743 grams, 48 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
This category of swords has been classified by Khorasani as 'swords with a mushroom pommel' and are usually characterised by a solid-cast hilt with a penannular guard, a ribbed or variously decorated grip and the conical hollow-cast mushroom pommel. Usually the blade is multi-fullered and tapers to a sharp tip. Moorey considers them to be from the end of the 2nd millennium B.C. -
Luristan Bronze Arrowhead
13th-6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Lozengiform in section, triangular in profile with slight barbs to lower edge, stepped neck and short tang. 28.5 grams, 13.2 cm
From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; with collection no.BA27; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. -
Luristan Bronze Sword with Decorated Stone Pommel
13th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
With solid cast hilt with penannular guard and a horizontally ribbed grip; a massive star-shaped pommel and a multi-fullered blade tapering to a sharp tip; handle restored. 1.03 kg, 63.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
According to Moorey, such category of swords were distributed in the Northern Iran area, as proved by the Amarlu finds. Based on the example from the Ashmolean Museum, he dated them to the end of the 2nd millennium B.C., more precisely to a period between 1400-1200 B.C. The type was in use until the 7th century B.C.
