Byzantine Silver Belt Mount Group

Tongue-shaped buckle plate formed as two separate panels, the lower with a knop finial, hinge knuckles and lugs to the underside, the upper with openwork design of an ibex among reeds within a hatched border. 20.18 grams, 58 mm



Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003 to present. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

A layer of coloured fabric would be trapped between the panels so that the figural design was foregrounded against the plate.

Piriform in profile with narrow point and domed mouth; the body decorated with annulets and concentric circles; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 457 grams, 11.2 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.

Comprising a conical sheet-gold body and ribbed suspension loop with a ribbed collar below. 1.28 grams, 16 mm



Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.