This is the rating and price for Early Byzantine Bronze Discoid Bread Stamp, Ex-Bonhams, 2013

Description : Early Byzantine period, ca. 6th to 9th century CE. A hefty bronze bread stamp of a discoid form. The pressing face depicts twelve letters in a circular arrangement along the outer edge with an empty space in the center. These letters may contain the name of the family it was commissioned for or perhaps the signature of the bakery in which the bread was baked. A pair of nubbin protrusions jut upwards from the top side, indicative of a ring handle which was at one time integral to the stamp. A sumptuous espresso-hued patina envelops the entirety of the stamp. Size: 4 Diameter (10.2 cm). During the Roman era, bakeries were required to stamp their bread with an individual seal in order to trace the source of the loaves and to prevent fraud or theft of imperial supplies. Upon the birth of the Byzantine Empire, bread stamps were still used, although their purpose had significantly changed. Although varying greatly in size and shape, the common characteristic of Byzantine bread stamps was the emphasis in drawing fracture lines that indicated to the priest where to cut the loaf. These lines become even more important on Eucharistic stamps that marked the consecrated bread for communion. Provenance: private Davis collection, Houston, Texas, USA, ex-Bonhams London Antiquities Auction, 8 May, 2013, part of lot 275, ex-Adda Family collection, acquired by Ferdinand Adda in Egypt in the 1930s, bequeathed to his daughter, G. Adda Cohen and acquired by Mrs. P. Scharrelmann, Germany All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #133007
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Estimate (low-high) : 1200 USD-1500 USD It's free to register now to view!

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