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LOT 0177
Byzantine Stone Carving of Saint Peter
6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
4 in. (4 1/2 in.) (103 grams, 10.4 cm (132 grams total, 11.7 cm including stand)).
Rectangular marble panel with half-round figure of standing Saint Peter between two columns, holding ring with three keys and scroll in one hand, inscription 'ΠΕTPOC' to the upper right corner; finely carved low-relief cross with wide arms to the reverse; repaired and mounted on a custom-made display stand.
Provenancewith The Bactria Corp., NYC, USA, 1970s.
Private collection, New York, USA.
with Arte Primitivo, New York, USA, 17 March 2021, no.619 ($9,920.00).
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 a search certificate number no.12839-240781.
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.
Cf. for similar icon Wamser, L., Die Welt von Byzanz - Europas Östliches Erbe, München, 2004, item 869.
FootnotesThe relief shows similarities with scenes from sarcophagi made in Constantinople, which depict miracles of Christ witnessed by the Apostles, especially Saint Peter. In particular, due to its similarity to fragments of a sarcophagus from Leontopolis but carved in Byzantium, the scene may depict the healing of the blind man of Jericho, with Peter witnessing the miracles performed by Jesus.
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Byzantine Bronze Punch with Menorah and Hebrew Inscription
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Columnar stem with conical base extending to a square-section shank. 18.8 grams, 31 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Stamping in antiquity and in the Roman Empire was under strict regulations, and it was not limited to food and liquid containers. Bricks and tiles used in construction were impressed with the names of magistrates, workshops, estate owners from whom the material came, and the names of individual makers. Among the myriad Late Roman stamps, a great number were to mark bread or containers holding flour and other foods, as well as a variety of liquids such as wine, oil, fish and fruits preserved in sauces, medical ointments, even water. It is interesting to note as the Jewish symbols here engraved are very stylised: as mentioned by various scholars, the Jewish representations of shofar and lulav on this category of stamps degenerated in quality in Late Antiquity and this is way there are variously dated between the 4th and the 7th century. -
Byzantine Period Glass Bangle
8th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
D-shaped in section with green mosaic band to the upper face of the outer edge, marvered trail with red and yellow, undulating profile. 30.9 grams, 93 mm
Ex property of a London collector; acquired 1960s. Property of a North London, UK, lady. 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): £104
Piriform in profile with domed mouth; four raised lugs to the body with incised hatching in between; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 571 grams, 14.4 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.
