Loading, please wait...
LOT 0180
Byzantine Limestone Mortar with Faces and Later Dedication
CIRCA 14TH-15TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
8 5/8 in. (11.15 kg, 22 cm wide).
Drum-shaped body with narrow base, two vertical flanges running from the rim and between them two D-shaped male masks with low discoid caps; later inscribed: '1812 [ΕΤ]ΟΥ IΟΥ[ΛIΟΥ] 27 ІωÁΝΙΣ ΚΟΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΠΕΤΡΙΚΙ' (July the 27, year 1812 of Iohannes Konstantinos Petrikos). [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
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 0180
Byzantine Limestone Mortar with Faces and Later Dedication
Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
-
Miniature Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Piriform body with lateral ribs and impressed ornament to the upper body, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 132 grams, 79 mm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 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. -
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Piriform body with vertical bands of pellets and roundels, knop finial, tiered and domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 755 grams, 15 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards.
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. -
Byzantine Gold Ring with Foliate Motifs
Circa 11th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £667
Comprising a flat-section hoop with a starburst motif to the base; openwork shoulders and a square bezel with a pellet to each corner, the bezel engraved with foliate motifs. 3.65 grams, 19.99 mm overall, 18.00 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)
Acquired from London galleries during the 1990s. From the jewellery collection of a London, UK, gentleman.
Some rings from the Balkan territories of the Eastern Empire (for example the ring from Dobrača) bear a square thickened bezel engraved with schematic representations. What sets them apart are the widened shoulders emphasised by a plastic rib and the raised and flattened head, which places them in the group of rings which dates mainly to the 11th century (from the end of the 10th to the first decades of the 12th century).
