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LOT 1357
Large Byzantine Period Terracotta Oil Lamp
CIRCA 7TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (207 grams, 13.4 cm).
Piriform oil lamp with small filler hole and a loop handle to the rear, low-relief linear decoration on the body. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a Yorkshire, UK gentleman, items collected in the Holy Land in the 1960s.
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 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Bulbous body with domed filler hole, two circumferential bands below the neck; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 407 grams, 89 mm
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. -
Byzantine Plaque with Armoured Bust
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Rectangular die with facing bust surmounted by a cross, with feathers or scales to the chest, C-shaped and other impressions to obverse and reverse. 35.55 grams, 46.31 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Byzantine Bronze Polycandelon Hanger Chain with Cross
5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Comprising a substantial link chain with a large cross composed of two rivetted plates. 372 grams, 87 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Polycandela were basically ring-shaped devices, hung from chains, pierced with circular holes to accommodate the stems of glass lamps. These suspended chandeliers, formed by two perforated concentric circles, held glass lamps filled with oil and having a metal wick holder inside. Crosses were often attached to polycandela, as elements of connection of the chains, a system still used in the actual Oriental churches.
