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LOT 1107
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
5 3/4 in. (646 grams, 14.5 cm).
Piriform in profile with domed mouth, vertical raised lugs dividing the body into four fields each with pointillé herringbone patterns; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade.
ProvenanceFrom an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards.
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 1107
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
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Byzantine Terracotta Oil Lamp with Cross and Birds
Holy Land, circa 6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Large lamp with high pointed body, a partial knob handle and a small filling hole outlined by a ridge; another ridge extending toward the wick-hole, creating a 'channel' decorated with a line; rim divided into two bands, the outer one filled with tondo with birds, the inner one decorated with a stylised cross and geometric pattern on the nozzle. 142 grams, 10 cm
From the collection of Mr W.A. Stewart, Director of School of Arts and Crafts, Cairo, 1919-1929. Acquired Christie's, London, Antiquities, Works of Art and Important Renaissance Bronzes, Plaquettes and Limoges Enamels, 8 July 1981, no.126 (part). From a private Wiltshire, UK, collection. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue page.
This type of lamp is a precursor of the early Islamic channel-nozzle lamp, which has a tongue handle. The small knob handle indicates an earlier date, while the channel implies a later date. The lamp, in correspondence with similar lamps found in Israel, can be dated to the 6th-7th century A.D., belonging to the eastern Roman culture or even to the early Islamic period. -
Byzantine Bronze and Silver Cross Pendant Group
7th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising three expanding-arm cross pendants with integral suspension loops, two with ring-and-dot decoration, likely representing the five wounds of Christ. 9.65 grams total, 22-31 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Large Byzantine Bronze Reliquary Pendant Cross
10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Enkolpion with hinged barrel-shaped loop; incised nimbate figure to each face in orans pose within a decorative border. 109 grams, 12.5 cm
Ex DRG Coins and Antiquities, Bishops Stortford, Essex, UK. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s. Accompanied by a handwritten dealer's ticket.
