Ca. 900-1100 AD.A ceramic "Greek fire" grenade comprising a globular body with a pointed base and a domed lid. The vessel is decorated with a central register of an incised diagonal pattern. It is believed that vessels such as this one contained an incendiary agent known as "Greek fire", which, since it was impervious to water, made these vessels invaluable weapons in naval battles. Unfortunately, the exact composition of the Greek fire is unknown. However, scholars posit that the mixture was composed of pine resin, naphtha, quicklime, and sulphur. To find out more about Greek fire grenades, see Crosby, A. (2002). Throwing fire: Projectile technology through history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. This item comes with a custom-made display stand.Size: L:110mm / W:85mm ; 490gProvenance: Private UK collection; From an old Oxford collection formed in the 1990s.