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LOT 1091
Byzantine Terracotta Slipper Oil Lamp
6TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/4 in. (80 grams, 10.9 cm).
Broad slipper-shaped type with square-ended stub nozzle, broad shoulder with herringbone detailing, discus with ribbed border to the filler-hole, ribbed reflector, and basal ring to the underside. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Israeli collection, 1980s.
LiteratureCf. Porat, R., Davidovich, U., Langford, B., Zissu, B., 'Votive Offerings from the Late Roman Period in the Te' omim Cave, Western Jerusalem Hills' in Taal, O., Weiss, Z., Expression of Cult in Southern Levant in the Greco-Roman Period, Turnhout, 2017, pp.111-130.
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 Silver Artefact Group
6th-15th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £111
Including a teardrop pendant, sheet-silver miniature mask, plano-convex crystal lens and other items. 12.81 grams total, 11-40 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Ovoid in profile with linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 805 grams, 13 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'.
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 Bronze Ring with Warrior Saint
12th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Hoop with angled shoulders, hexagonal bezel with a stylised nimbate warrior holding a long spear and a shield. 3.24 grams, 21.62 mm overall, 18.18 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The bronze ring is compactly worked from a single bar. The hoop, hemispherical in section, broadens at the top, where the hexagonal ring bezel was hammered. The decoration inscribed in the hexagon shows a military saint in the upper field, surrounded by lines running parallel to the hexagon, which form a further decorative element. The bezel of these rings was decorated with stylised images, very often military saints, who were asked for protection and blessing. They are usually represented as one or two human figures, schematically depicted, inscribed in a circle, decorating the bezel.
