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LOT 1948
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
3 5/8 in. (370 grams, 93 mm).
Bulbous body with rounded base and domed filler hole, an impressed circumferential band on 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 1948
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Estimate £70 - 90€81 - 104 (for guidance only)$95 - 122 (for guidance only)
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Post Medieval Pistol and Rifle Flints from Suffolk
17th-19th century A.D.Estimate: £20 - 30 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Comprising two triangular-section rectangular flints. 11.2 grams total, 17-28 mm
Found Brandon, Suffolk, UK. From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s. Accompanied by an old information packet handwritten by Peter Clayton. -
Luristan Bronze Pickaxe with Crouching Dog
Circa early 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
The body of the axe resembling a stork's head with incised lines on the sides, a tubular socket with a collared dog reclining on the top and perforations on the sides. 373 grams total, 15.2 cm high including stand
European private collection, 1990s. Ex John Lawton private collection, Surrey, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a previous illustrated catalogue page, including provenance. -
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Bids: 1 | Current Bid: £5
Ovoid in profile with domed filler hole; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 370 grams, 10.4 cm
From 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'.
Apart 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.
