Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0968
Byzantine Lead Cross
5TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
8 1/2 in. (357 grams, 21.5 cm).
Flat-section cruciform mount with stub arms and attachment point at one end; high-relief saltires, hoops and other detailing.
Provenance
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
From the family collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection since the late 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
VETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0968
Byzantine Lead Cross
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Byzantine Enamelled Brooch with Bird
9th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £45
Comprising: Outer ring linked by six radiating ellipsoid spokes to central hun, pin-lug, pin and catch to the reverse; outer ring with median band of enamel, similar to each of the spokes; hub with enamel-filed bird motif on a plain enamelled field. 9.73 grams, 35 mm
Acquired before 1978. Private collection, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Byzantine Steatite Mount with a Saint
12th century A.D.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Showing a bust of a man dressed in a cloak and with his head turned to look over his right shoulder, possibly depicting St John; rectangular in plan with rounded corners. 2.52 grams, 19 mm
Acquired from Artemis Gallery, 2003. Private collection, Europe. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Piriform in profile with domed mouth; the lower body decorated with striated almond-shaped motifs, a band of rectangles divided with lines above; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 1.03 kg, 16.5 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'. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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.