Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade

Hollow-formed cross fragment with low-relief ornament; obverse with facing veiled female bust within a ropework tondo, cruciform design to the lower arm and second tondo with facing bearded bust, foliage to the lateral arms; reverse with geometric saltire bands; knop finials to the arms (two present) and slots for attachment of additional features. 153 grams, 13.8 cm



with Rupert Wace Ltd. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Trichinopoly cord with coiled wire finials, hook-and-eye fastening. 18.3 grams, 57.2 cm



Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The chain is a multiple 'loop-in-loop' type, a general type of necklace, especially in use in the Romano-Egyptian Jewellery of 3rd-7th century A.D. The early examples were done in Alexandria and the production lasted until the Arab conquest of 641 A.D.

Ellipsoid in plan with chamfered edge; standing nimbate figure in ankle-length robe extending one hand in blessing above a crawling supplicant; extensive Greek text transcribed as: ''ΚΕ Η ΓVNΙ / ΙΛ ΡVCΕΙ Ε / ΛTΟΣ ΕΤΙ / ΚΕ ΠΟΛΑ / ΝΙCΛ ΜΙ / Ν ωFΕΛΕ / ΛΑΑΜ / ΕΡ / ΗΛ / Λ / ΜΟVCΑ ' and 'A / ΛF / O / ΛΛ'.…'[καὶ γυνὴ οὗσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος δώδεκα ἔτη καὶ πολλὰ παθοῦσα ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἰατρῶν καὶ δαπανήσασα τὰ παρ᾽ αὐτῆς πάντα καὶ μηδὲν ὠφεληθεῖσα ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ χεῖρον ἐλθοῦσα…' 10.2 grams, 27 mm



UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The scene and surrounding text refers to the miracle concerning the woman with the issue of blood; the Greek text is abbreviated from Mark 5, 25-34: 'And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, 'If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.' And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my garments?' And his disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?' And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.'