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LOT 0970
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14TH CENTURY A.D.
5 7/8 in. (755 grams, 15 cm).
Piriform body with vertical bands of pellets and roundels, knop finial, tiered and domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards.
LiteratureCf. Arendt, W. I., Granaten des 13-14. Jahrhunderts, die an der Wolga gefunden sind, Zeitschrift fur Historische Waffen-und Kostumkunde, 11 (1926-8), p.42; cf. Arendt, W., Die Spharisch-konischen Gefäße aus Gebranntem Ton, ibid; cf. Ayalon, D., Gunpowder and Firearms in the Mamluk Kingdom, London, 1956, p.16
FootnotesApart 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.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0970
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
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Byzantine Gold Filigree Pendant
6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Capsule pendant with domed ends and openwork filigree bands between, ribbed suspension tube, granule finials. 0.91 grams, 15 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Byzantine Bifacial Gemstone with Religious Scenes
6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
To one face an incuse cross above an agnus dei, to the other Christ enthroned in majesty with worshipper. 2.96 grams, 21 mm
Acquired on the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. From a gentleman's private collection. -
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Byzantine Bronze Cross Pendant
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
With remains of notch detailing to the outer edges of the arms, two links of the suspension chain. 2.58 grams, 38 mm
Ex DRG Coins and Antiquities, Essex, UK. Ex private Merseyside, UK, collection.
The example of a bronze cross corresponds, in shape and style, to a typology also known in organic material, specifically in wood. Dating this typology is difficult, as it is not easy to identify its place of origin or the context with which these crosses were associated.
