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LOT 0176
Byzantine Silver Magical Plaque with St. Sisinnius
6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (4.13 grams, 31 mm).
Ovoid plaque with incised amuletic ornament; obverse with nimbate horseman bearing a cross potent spearing a supine stylised female figure, Greek legend above 'oΑΓΟC CICINIC' (St. Sisinnius); reverse with advancing lion and Syrian and Greek legend relating to Μαρία η Αιγυπτία (St. Mary of Egypt).
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
FootnotesIn Byzantine folklore, St Sisinnius was the supernatural horseman and opponent of the Gelloudes, a class of female witches.
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
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, segmented bands radiating from the filler hole interspersed with bands of impressed pellets; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 414 grams, 10.4 cm
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. -
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Byzantine Porphyry Relief with Cross Surrounded by Two Birds
Southern Italy or Constantinople, 11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £28,600
An imposing panel divided to four sections by a central cross on a stepped pedestal, the lower and upper arm with branch-like extensions; the upper quadrants with a circlet surrounding a palm tree-shaped motif; each lower quadrant with a bird in profile facing back; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 16 kg total, 44.5 cm including stand
Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12179-221676.
The cross, symbol of resurrection and salvation, carried the meaning of Paradise, and a cross on a stepped base derived from that on Golgotha. The birds represented here are probably a symbol of joy of the afterlife, of paradise conceived as the locus refrigerii or refrigerium of the soul. The panel could have been part of a marble iconostasis of a Church of the Eastern Roman Empire, in Southern Italy, although the use of porphyry can suggest a Constantinopolitan provenance. -
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Byzantine Bronze Segmented Strap
10th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising five hinged sections, each with three central bosses with pelletted collars, further pellets to the field; possibly from a belt. 61.7 grams, 15 cm
UK private collection. Acquired from York Antiques Centre, in 2001. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.
