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LOT 1353
Byzantine Terracotta Oil Lamp
7TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/2 in. (83 grams, 89 mm).
Slipper-shaped in plan with spike handle, raised rim to the filler hole, broad shoulder with raised radiating bars, stub nozzle, low basal ring, with inked inscription to verso which reads: '11-6-1963 / Front the old / ROMAN CITY / SEBASTIA / SAMARIA'. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a late Hampshire gentleman's collection, formed from the 1960s.
LiteratureCf. De Vincenz, A., ‘Ceramic Vessels and Oil Lamps from the Burial Cave at ‘En Lavan, Nahal Refa’im’ in Atiqot, 98, 2020, pp.103-122, fig.8 no.6, for similar.
FootnotesThe shape of the lamp is similar to that of the candlestick-type lamps. The form of the channel and the handle point to a late date, i.e., the end of the 7th or the beginning of the 8th century A.D.
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
AUCTIONS:
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Byzantine Seal Matrix with Inscription
Circa 11th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £56
With inscription '+ΘKEB / OΘTO / ΔΟΛΟ / ΤΘΛΑ' for 'ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ ΒΟΗΘΕI ΤΩ ΔΟΥΛΩ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΛΑΔΕ' (Mother of God, help Lades, the servant of God). 13.1 grams, 18 mm
From an important collection formed before 1988, London and Geneva.
The stamp seals that have survived in large numbers from Byzantium are objects a few centimetres high and conical in shape, featuring a sealing surface at the lower end and a pendant at the upper end. They served the same function as signet rings and were used to seal everyday objects, primarily for personal purposes, using wax and other soft materials. -
Byzantine Terracotta Slipper Oil Lamp with Cross
6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Slipper-shaped in plan with a low rim around the filler hole, a stub nozzle, a lug handle to the rear, radiating linear decoration to the shoulder and cross-and-pellets to the nozzle, low basal ring. 65 grams, 84 mm
From a collection of lamps of a late Scottish gentleman, 1970-1990s. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Piriform in profile with a domed filler hole, linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 513 grams, 12.2 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.
