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LOT 1546
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 5/8 in. (650 grams, 11.8 cm).
Ovoid in profile with a rounded base, a circumferential band around the neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a specialist collection, London, UK, 1990-2000s.
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 1546
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
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Viking Iron Fighting Broad Axehead
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
With triangular spurs below the square socket, medium-broad flaring triangular-section blade extending to a curved edge, hammer extension to the rear. 280 grams, 15 cm
Ex North American private collection, 1970s. -
Large Luristan Bronze Socketted Axehead
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
With a slender, scooped blade, a round socket and shallow scooped depression to the upper face of the blade with thick curved edge; socket chipped. 1.05 kg, 13 cm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Roman 'Consular' Lead Slingshot
1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Fusiform shot with casting nipple at each end, low-relief legend 'COS' to one face and traces of letters on the other. 38 grams, 36 mm
From the collection of a London antiquarian, formed since the 1980s.
The shot (Völling type 1C) is marked with the abbreviation COS, meaning CO(N)S(UL), the highest military magistrate of the Roman Res Publica. The projectiles were made of different materials: lead (glandes) or pottery or stone (lapides missiles).
