Description:

Ancient Near East, Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. A fine example of a pottery hand grenade with an inverted piriform body and a squat wick spout surrounded by a pair of incised concentric rings. 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 sulphur. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 3.4" W x 4.4" H (8.6 cm x 11.2 cm)

Cf. Arendt, W. Irene Granaten des 13-14. Jahrhunderts, die an der Wolga gefunden sind, Zeitschrift fur Historische Waffen-und Kostumkunde, 11 (1926-8), p.42; Arendt, W. Die Spharisch-konischen Gefasse aus Gebranntem Ton, ibid.; Ayalon, D. Gunpowder and Firearms in the Mamluk Kingdom, London, 1956, p.16.

Provenance: private Fort Collins, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Timeline Auctions (June 6, 2020); ex-private gentleman's collection, Northwest London, UK, part of his father's collection formed during the 1980s

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#159298

  • Condition: Minor nicks and abrasions to body and wick spout, otherwise intact and very good. Smooth surface textures throughout.

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December 17, 2020 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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