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LOT 1507
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/4 in. (419 grams, 10.7 cm).
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole, an impressed circumferential band above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx important collection of weaponry, London, UK, 1980-1990s.
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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LOT 1507
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Estimate £70 - 90€81 - 104 (for guidance only)$95 - 122 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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Byzantine Bronze Four-Sided Stamp Seal
Circa 12th century A.D.Estimate: £120 - 170 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £60
Pyramidal in form with gusseted bulb and pierced lug finial; three faces with fleur-de-lys motif, fourth with 'K / NΠ / HCXC'; underside with pelleted border and legend 'VE / A'. 6.99 grams, 21 mm
Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent. -
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Byzantine Mould-Blown Translucent Pale Green Glass Three-Handled Jug
5th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £550
Hexagonal body with a short cylindrical neck and a flaring rim, three applied handles extending from the rim to the shoulders, geometric decoration on the panels. 58 grams, 93 mm high
Roman glass from an important London collection, acquired from the early 1980s. From an important London glass collection, 1990s. Accompanied by a typed previous catalogue information page with provenance.
These octagonal or hexagonal jugs or jars were possibly made as tokens for pilgrims visiting the holy sites in Jerusalem or for use in burial rites. In the late 6th and early 7th century A.D., they were mass-produced in moulds for the pilgrim trade in the Holy Land, in the vicinity of the holy city, but they were found all around the Mediterranean, especially in islands like Cyprus, an important place on the sea route that brought pilgrims to Jerusalem. Such vessels were probably filled with oil from holy sites and sold to pilgrims. -
Byzantine Gold Ring with Square Bezel and Inscription
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Flat rectangular bezel flanked at each shoulder by a cluster of granules, border of punched triangles enclosing Greek legend 'ΘEOΔΟPA K C'. 4.92 grams, 21.72 mm overall, 18.23 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Private collection of Kal Noselson, New York, acquired between 1976 and the late 1990s; thence by descent.
The ring belongs to an unconventional category of 6th-century A.D. Eastern Roman rings, featuring a rectangular bezel and the junction of the bezel and hoop with six gold pellets at each shoulder. The inscription could be interpreted as 'ΘEOΔΟPAK[I]C' (of Theodorakis).
