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LOT 1834
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/2 in. (534 grams, 14 cm).
Piriform in profile with a stepped neck, incised decoration and three raised lugs; 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 1834
Turco-Mongol 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
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Viking Iron Sword Pommel and Lower Guard
10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £702
Comprising: lower guard, lentoid in plan with recessed underside, slot to accept the tang; pommel with integral upper guard, Petersen's Type X with semicircular profile and raised upper section, slot for tang in the underside. 480 grams total, 77-92 mm
London, UK, collection, formed in the late 1990s. -
Greek Lead Slingshot Group
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising three lentoid-section bullets. 87 grams total, 27-37 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Western Asiatic Bronze Arrowhead Collection
2nd-1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising five tanged arrowheads with raised midribs, one with barbed shoulders. 150 grams total, 11.7-15.4 cm
London, UK, collection, 1990s.
One category of the represented arrowheads has a sharp blade, the ends of which extend to form wings or barbs, and a prominent midrib extending into a long tang that often has a stop; the blade shape varies from deltoid to more triangular. Another form has no barbs, but it has a prominent midrib and triangular blade, with a stop at the tang.
