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LOT 1179
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/8 in. (579 grams, 10.4 cm).
Of squat piriform shape with shallow vertical dashes decorating the upper body, stamped triangles above and below. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFamily collection, acquired 1980-2015.
Ex property of a North London gentleman.
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 Gefasse 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. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also of bronze) used for Greek fire. 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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Circa 10th century B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
Formed with an elongated leaf-shaped blade, the socket extending into the blade in the form of a tapered mid-rib with decorative raised central grooves. 449 grams, 45 cm
Acquired from John Cummings, UK, in 1988. Ex Lord Alistair McAlpine collection.
This spear seems to have parallels to those found in the tombs of the 'sword bearers' of central-southern Europe, an aristocratic class of the Urn Fields civilisation who had its last period of splendour between 10th-9th centuries B.C. The weapons were deposited with various objects inside incineration graves, but the spears were often ritually damaged (see tomb 5 of the necropolis of Pontenuovo di Gazzo Veronese, broken into three parts). Our spear, in the upper part, seems to show traces of oxidation due to the fire of the funeral pyre, and probably came from a tomb. -
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The barbed head with tapering cylindrical stem and biconical lead weight. 85 grams, 15 cm
Ex J. Layne collection, 1990s.
The lead-weighted darts known as plumbatae mamillatae, (or breasted javelin) were short darts mounted upon a shaft, of the same shape, and thrown from a short distance. A Roman soldier would typically carry around 5-6 of these darts at any one time, fastened to the back of his shield. They could be thrown overhand or underhand, with an effective throwing range of up to 60 meters by trained soldiers. -
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Steel gunsight with three rings and cross-wires and pillar mount to fit the MG34 general purpose machine gun. 80 grams, 14 cm
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