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LOT 1785
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
14TH-15TH CENTURY A.D.
5 7/8 in. (406 grams, 15 cm).
Piriform in profile with a domed mouth and a stepped neck, incised decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s.
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 1785
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
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Western Asiatic Polished Stone Macehead
3rd-2nd millennium B.C.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
With a globular body and a short cylindrical socket. 335 grams, 78 mm
From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman, 1990s. -
Luristan Bronze Tanged Dirk
Early 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Comprising a slender blade with a raised midrib with grooves, a short rectangular-section tang pierced at the end. 200 grams, 41.5 cm
Ex Abelita family collection, 1980s-2000s.
The Luri people produced a quantity of fine metalwork, which, according to Dr Khorasani, could be due to a settled period arising as a result of the defeat of the Elamites by the Babylonians, leaving the Luristani people in relative peace for a period of time after 1200 BC. According to Khorasani, 'A culture of innovation and experimentation flourished, and the repertoire of the Luristan smiths expanded in the period between 1150-1050 B.C.' -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Ovoid in profile with domed filler hole, linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 667 grams, 12.8 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.
