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LOT 1330
Byzantine Period Terracotta Oil Lamp
CIRCA 5TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/2 in. (100 grams, 89 mm).
Piriform body with short nozzle and a stub handle on the rear, raised linear decoration on the body, base with a sunwheel motif. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a Yorkshire, UK gentleman, items collected in the Holy Land in the 1960s.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Byzantine Bronze Plaque with Warrior Saint
Circa 6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
Rectangular with rounded corners and pierced lug to each short side; low-relief scene with a horseman brandishing a spear against an infantryman with spear and shield; foliage and baseline. 8.82 grams, 58 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Byzantine Bronze Polycandelon Hanger Chain with Cross
5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Comprising a substantial link chain with a large cross composed of two rivetted plates. 372 grams, 87 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Polycandela were basically ring-shaped devices, hung from chains, pierced with circular holes to accommodate the stems of glass lamps. These suspended chandeliers, formed by two perforated concentric circles, held glass lamps filled with oil and having a metal wick holder inside. Crosses were often attached to polycandela, as elements of connection of the chains, a system still used in the actual Oriental churches. -
Byzantine Bronze Punch with Menorah and Hebrew Inscription
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £428
Columnar stem with conical base extending to a square-section shank. 18.8 grams, 31 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Stamping in antiquity and in the Roman Empire was under strict regulations, and it was not limited to food and liquid containers. Bricks and tiles used in construction were impressed with the names of magistrates, workshops, estate owners from whom the material came, and the names of individual makers. Among the myriad Late Roman stamps, a great number were to mark bread or containers holding flour and other foods, as well as a variety of liquids such as wine, oil, fish and fruits preserved in sauces, medical ointments, and even water. It is interesting to note as the Jewish symbols here engraved are very stylised: as mentioned by various scholars, the Jewish representations of shofar and lulav on this category of stamps degenerated in quality in Late Antiquity, and this is why they are variously dated between the 4th and the 7th century.
