Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade

Comprising: a spatha-type two-edged tapering blade, lentoid in section with sloped shoulders and short tang pierced by an attachment rivet for the grip; traces to both faces of the blade of wooden fibre from the scabbard; edges lightly notched but substantially complete; the lower guard rectangular in plan and scaphoid in section with inset garnet cloisons, triangular along the lower row and heart-shaped above, rectangular at the top, with small rectangular slivers at each end; accompanied by the upper roundel of the pommel, set with four garnet cloisons. 954 grams, 84.5 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. 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 search certificate no. 12357-225921. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

These ‘ceremonial’ swords (in reality widely used in battle) with an inlaid guard are, according to Kazanski, Late Roman in origin. The cloisonné decoration was probably linked with the production of particularly ornamented swords in the ateliers of the Roman capital of Constantinople. This typology of weapon was not only produced as a gift for foreign chiefs allied to the empire, but it was also adopted by the Imperial army, and reserved for the Imperial officers, who were often of Germanic or Asiatic origin.

Formed as a leaf-shaped blade with raised ribs on both sides, pierced through the tang. 41 grams, 12.2 cm



From an ancient art collection, formerly acquired in the UK, European, and USA art markets from pre-2000 collections. Property of a West Northamptonshire, UK, gentleman.

Comprising: an iron and copper-alloy old style Gomai kabuto ridged helmet with suji-kabuto bowl, suji-tate raised ridges, terminating in a small four-stage tehen kanamono hole, fitted with a crossed plate; gilt-copper maedate (frontal ornament) with high raised datemono, antennae; mabizashi, (integral peak visor), lined with silk; fukigaeshi, (steel wings); the neck of the helmet is protected by a laminated shikoro (neck guard with solid plates), made of five steel plates (hachi tsuke- not-ita, ni-no-ita, san-no-ita, yon-no-ita), with red braid sugake-odoshi spaced lacing; the helmet with internal lining (ushibari); behind the nape of the bowl attached a kasa jirushi no kan ring for the red tuft; a fine mempō iron face mask, black lacquered on the outside, red on the inside, with high cheekbones engraved with deep wrinkles on either cheek, detachable nose with simple hooked nails odayori no kugi, flared nostrils and open mouth, moustache, to which is attached a laminated yodare-kake, (throat guard), made of four numbered iron gilded plates with red braid sugake-odoshi spaced lacing; a hybrid armour, composed of a okegawa-do type, constructed with large gilded iron solid horizontal plates joined by the lacing system known as sugake-odoshi in the upper part and kebiki-odoshi in the lower part; composing two valves (ni-mai) attached on the right side and over the shoulders by strings (aibiki no o), attached to it a kusazuri protection made from hardened leather plates hanging from the front and back of the dō to protect the lower body and upper leg; fastening lace agemaki-bow suspended from a ring on the back upper plate and on the sides of a central bronze dragon plaque; oda gote vambraces, arm protection with gilded lacquered splint iron plates (shino) connected with chain armour gusari fitted with tekkō gauntlets, the shino and tekkō decorated with gilded rosette motifs; mogani-sode, slightly curved shoulder guards, composed from six gilded raw-hide plates, fitted with red kake-o (suspending cords) and uke-o (securing cord), bordered by kesho-no-ita (strips of wood covered with leather) and a silk-lined kamuri-ita; Ita-haidate, thighguards, faced with fusa-gusari mail and connected with gilded rawhide splint armour, the upper part lined with silk; O-tateage no-suneate, with gilded iron splint armour (shino), fitted with small round armour plates (kikko) protecting the knees; in two metal-bound wooden transport cases. 29.95 kg total, 157 cm high (assembled)



Private collection, UK. Accompanied by a certificate issued by Chairman Hitoshi Nagata of the Japan Armour and Weapons Research Preservation Association, certificate no. Qing 1309. 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 search certificate number no.13254-252260.