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LOT 1349
Byzantine Plaque with Armoured Bust
CIRCA 6TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/4 in. (35.55 grams, 46.31 mm).
Rectangular die with facing bust surmounted by a cross, with feathers or scales to the chest, C-shaped and other impressions to obverse and reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
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 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Piriform in profile with linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 530 grams, 13.2 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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'.
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 Terracotta Slipper Oil Lamp with Animal Head and Cross Below
5th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Slipper-shaped body in plan with double rim around the filler hole, stub nozzle, lug handle in the form of a goat's head, scrolls, cross and other decoration to the shoulder, low basal ring. 72.3 grams, 10.5 cm
From a collection of lamps of a late Scottish gentleman, 1970-1990s. -
Byzantine Period Terracotta Oil Lamp with Triangular Handle
Circa 5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Circular body with a wide nozzle, filler hole with a raised square border with a band of pellets below, a wide triangular handle at the rear with three raised vertical bands behind, and a low basal ring. 93.6 grams, 10.1 cm
From the collection of a Yorkshire, UK gentleman, items collected in the Holy Land in the 1960s.
