Description:

Medieval Near East, Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. Two hand-built pottery hand grenades with hollow, apple-shaped bodies meant to hold combustible materials such as naphtha. The first grenade features a dark yellow-green color and has a simple wick spout protruding from the rounded shoulder. The largest grenade has a spherical body with incised rings around the base and shoulder as well as a projecting wick spout with a flared rim. Both grenades were intended to be hurled at one's enemies, shatter upon impact, and thus expose the incendiary materials held within to the flame perpetuated by the lit wick spout. Size of largest: 3.2" W x 4.75" H (8.1 cm x 12.1 cm)

Provenance: private Fort Collins, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private collection of a North West London gentleman; part of his father's collection formed during the 1980s

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#157366

  • Condition: Both pieces have chips and light abrasions to bodies, bases, and wick spouts, with light encrustations, otherwise intact and very good. Nice earthen deposits throughout.

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August 13, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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