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LOT 1156
Byzantine Ring with Bust of Saint Theodore
12TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (5.59 grams, 23.22 mm overall, 18.80 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)).
Slender hoop with decorated shoulders, an oval bezel with a facing nimbate bust holding a shield and a spear.
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Byzantine Bronze Ring with Stavrosis and Two Roman Soldiers
10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Comprising a D-section hoop and an oval bezel with a cross flanked by two adoring figures. 1.66 grams, 17.78 mm overall, 15.34 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I, USA 4 1/4, Europe 7.44, Japan 7)
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Piriform body with a rounded base and domed mouth, circumferential bands on the body; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 747 grams, 14 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 Silver Architectural Ring Bezel
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
The bezel formed as an open facade of a building with a pediment, a robed figure inside, seated on a throne with lion-head arms. 6.67 grams, 22 mm
From the private collection of Graham Slater (1927-2024), Cambridge, UK; formed 1980s-1990s.
