Description:

Ancient Near East, Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 10th to 12th century CE. A hefty, mold-formed pottery hand grenade with an acorn-shaped body, a rounded shoulder, and a narrow mouth. The body is textured with several vertical striations, and a series of concentric rings narrow gradually towards the mouth. Grenades like this were meant to hold the famed and highly combustible substance known "Greek fire," though its exact composition is unknown; scholars posit that the mixture was composed of pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, and sulfur. Size: 5.4" L x 4" Diameter (13.7 cm x 10.2 cm)

Provenance: private Everett, Massachusetts, USA collection; ex-Jasper52, New York, New York, USA, September 30, 2018, lot 27; ex-old British collection, United Kingdom, purchased from a gentleman in Birmingham, England

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#183173

  • Condition: Some warping to body from firing, as well as expected nicks, chips, and abrasions as shown. Otherwise, intact with a nice presentation and liberal remains of incised detail. Light earthen deposits in areas.

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March 8, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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