Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade

Fragment of a figure carved in the half-round, with pleated garment, holding a book with a cross in the left hand and touching its edge with the right hand; to the reverse, a low-relief cross with knops to the angles, abbreviated legends 'IC / XC / NI / KA' for 'Jesus Christ is Victorious' in seriffed capitals in the spandrels of the cross, each with a superscript macron. 38 grams, 40 mm



New Forest, UK, collection, 1950s. Alexander Cotton collection, UK, 1970-1980s. London gallery 1990s, latterly a London gentleman's collection, 2000s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12912-244440.

This magnificent, if fragmentary, icon belongs to the most florid period of Byzantium’s renaissance, when, under the aegis of the Macedonian Dynasty, the political, military, cultural and economic power of the Roman Empire reached the last apex of its glory. The figure detailed in bloodstone here represents Christ, as is clear not only from the cross engraved on the back, but also from the garments he is wearing. It is likely that it is Christ as Pantocrator who is represented, maybe originally forming part of a more complex icon representing the Deesis. While this subject in Eastern Roman art is usually reserved for monumental decoration, it is sometimes found on smaller-scale objects as well, such as cameos and steatite icons.

Mainly tubular and biconvex beads and bronze pendant cross with five ring-and-dot motifs. 7.82 grams, 66 cm



London, UK, art market, 1990s.

Comprising a broad hoop with repoussé scrolled vine tendrils, beaded borders; pyramidal bezel with empty discoid cell flanked by granules and with a beaded wire rim. 4.48 grams, 32.81 mm overall, 17.87 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)



British private collection, before 1981. Acquired in 2003.