ca. 900–1100 AD. Byzantine. A hefty, mold-formed pottery hand grenade with an acorn-shaped body, a rounded shoulder, and a narrow mouth. The entire body is decorated with closely spaced stamped circles. Grenades like this were meant to hold the famed and highly combustible substance known as "Greek fire," though its exact composition is unknown; scholars posit that the mixture was composed of pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, and sulphur; custom-made stand included.Provenance: Private London collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK and European art market.Size: L:115mm / W:75mm ; 505g