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LOT 0914
Byzantine Steatite Mount with a Saint
12TH CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (2.52 grams, 19 mm).
Showing a bust of a man dressed in a cloak and with his head turned to look over his right shoulder, possibly depicting St John; rectangular in plan with rounded corners.
ProvenanceAcquired from Artemis Gallery, 2003.
Private collection, Europe.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0914
Byzantine Steatite Mount with a Saint
Estimate £700 - 900€810 - 1,040 (for guidance only)$950 - 1,220 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine Enamelled Brooch with Bird
9th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £45
Comprising: Outer ring linked by six radiating ellipsoid spokes to central hun, pin-lug, pin and catch to the reverse; outer ring with median band of enamel, similar to each of the spokes; hub with enamel-filed bird motif on a plain enamelled field. 9.73 grams, 35 mm
Acquired before 1978. Private collection, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Piriform in profile with tiered neck and domed mouth; the upper body and neck decorated with starburst motifs, a circumferential band of lozenges with starburst motifs inside below the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 548 grams, 12 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. -
Byzantine Rock Crystal Pendant
Circa 8th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Biconvex crystal bead mounted on a gold rod with bulb below, hinged bale above; obverse with intaglio nimbate bust of Christ, reverse with nimbate bust of Mary. 18.87 grams, 50 mm
Acquired from a London, UK, gallery, 1980s. From a North American gentleman's collection, 1980-1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12692-235761. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
