We found 350105 price guide item(s) matching your search
There are 350105 lots that match your search criteria. Subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service.
Click here to subscribe- List
- Grid
-
350105 item(s)/page
Lot 995
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze lock hasp in the shape of a herm wearing a headdress, genitalia on the column, the shoulders forming lateral lugs, suspension ring above with separate strap, stepped base below, openwork rectangular plate to the underside. 41.2 grams, 11.9cm (4 3/4"). Property of a European lady living in London; from her father's family collection formed before 1978. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 297
1st century AD. A bronze plaque with eight lines of qatabanic Sabaean text regarding an unknown temple of the kingdom of Qatab?n, dedicated to the gods Amm dhu-Raymatum and Warafum: '1 Dlwn -b-Gbln ?bd (s¹q)ny[ ?m] 2 ?-Rymtm w-Wrfm (s¹)qnyt-?= 3 hbm ?g tkrb-s¹mn gwm/ 4 b?w mhrt Nb? m w-(yt?s¹) 5 w-?bl-s¹ ?g t(k)rb-s¹mn l-m= 6 t?n-s¹ b-s¹wt br? n r?d D..= 7 wn ?m w-Wrfm ??n-s¹ w-(mqm)-s¹ 8 w-qny-s¹ b-?g ?m w-?nby' 'Dalw?n ... offered [to ?Amm] (2) dhu-Raymatum and Warafum the offering of (3) bronze according to the promise he made to them ... (4) ... mares of Naba? um ... (5) his camel in accordance with the promise he had made to them to be (6) protected in this expedition. Dalw?n has confided (7) to ?Amm and Warafum his faculties, his abilities (8) and his possessions, with the approval of Amm and Anb?'; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.05 kg, 23cm including stand (9"). Property of a London W1 collector; formerly acquired between 1970 and the late 1999s.Fine condition, repaired. Rare.
Lot 298
6th-4th century BC. A bronze roundel with domed centre and flared rim; line of bosses to the outer edge linked by an impressed herringbone band, four repoussé rosettes placed between advancing rams with ribbed horns and feathered wings, central dome with guilloche border; offered in a custom-made wooden display box. 1 kg total, 21cm (box: 29 x 29cm) (8 1/4 (11 1/2 x 11 1/2)"). Property of an American gentleman; formerly in a collection formed 1970s-1990s; previously believed to have been in an old Japanese collection as held within a high quality old Japanese collector's box.Very fine condition.
Lot 2981
20th century AD. A bronze ladle with tapering bowl, applied handle with openwork figure, voided torso and head, raised hands with gammadions. 206 grams, 18.5cm (7 1/4"). Property of a London collector; formerly in the James Willis collection, San Francisco, USA. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 311
1st millennium BC. A massive and heavy bronze bracelet with flat oval terminals, the shoulders ornamented with bands of lines and studs with studded and outlined dentilled ends; with custom-made display stand. 2.8 kg total, 26cm including stand (10 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired on the London art market in the 2000s.Fine condition.
Lot 321
2nd millennium BC. A silver waisted vessel with flared base and trumpet-shaped mouth, incised guilloche band to the centre above a frieze of three advancing ibexes each with hatched detailing to the neck and flanks, two crescent horns, slender legs with indications of musculature; to the underside, a raised rim and central rosette motif. See Amiet, P., Art of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1977; Muscarella, O.W., Bronze and Iron. Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988.39 grams, 10.5cm (4 1/4"). From the private collection of a North West London lady; previously with a central London gallery; formerly acquired before 1990. The repoussé rosette within a ring on the underside of the base has parallels in the art of Marlik and Elam, specifically the bitumen-backed silver roundels from Haft Tepe and elsewhere with 'lotus-flower' motifs executed in the same repoussé technique (Muscarella, p.227"). The form of a sheet silver cup or vessel with flared ends is found on many items produced in the Marlik cultural area (Amiet, items 534, 536, 538) although the decoration is more often executed in repoussé than engraved. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Fine condition, rim chipped.
Lot 386
Shang Dynasty, 13th-12th century BC. A bronze ritual wine chalice with plain trumpet-form neck above two bow-string bands with characters in between, the mid-section with a band of dragons with rounded eyes centred on a narrow flange, below three further bow-string bands interrupted by four cruciform apertures, the spreading foot with lip overhanging vertical sides with a further band of dragons with rounded eyes. 726 grams, 24cm (9 1/2"). Property of a North West London gallery; formerly in a 1980s collection.Fine condition.
Lot 387
Warring States Period, 475-221 BC. A squat bronze ding vessel with three rounded legs, median ridge, two rectangular loop handles, domed lid with three knops. Cf. Song, L., Chinese Bronze Ware, Cambridge, 2011, p.33, for type.3.1 kg, 24cm (9 1/2"). From a North West London collection; previously acquired in the 1980s.Fine condition.
Lot 388
Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD. A bronze tripod vessel with ribbed body; band of decoration depicting stylised dragons at the shoulder; lid with looped knop and band of stylised dragon decoration with band of characters above; stylised dragon head handle. See Allen, A.J., Authentification of Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Takapuna, 2001, for discussion.3.5 kg, 26cm (10 1/4"). From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a UK collection, acquired in the 1990s.[No Reserve]Fine condition.
Lot 3907
After 520 AD. Group comprising: folles (2); small bronze; with a lead monogram seal 36.13 grams total. . Property of a Cambridgeshire lady; formerly in the Igor Karmiloff collection (1925-2016), UN economist and author of Flashbacks, Icons of Impermanence, Bloomington, 2009; acquired in the 1950s-early 1990s. [4, No Reserve] Fine.
Lot 391
19th century AD. A large gilt-bronze figure of Arya Tara sitting cross-legged on a tiered base with lotus detailing; both hands resting on lap cradling a censer(?), the face serene with wide eyes, ushnisha surmounted by a conical flame; sanghati draped from both shoulders. 19.3 kg, 69cm (27 1/4"). From a North West London collection; previously acquired in the 1980s.Fine condition.
Lot 4031
2nd century BC and later. Group comprising: mixed bronzes of Kushan and other types; including a Byzantine small bronze. 32.05 grams total. . Property of a Cambridgeshire lady; formerly in the Igor Karmiloff collection (1925-2016), UN economist and author of Flashbacks, Icons of Impermanence, Bloomington, 2009; acquired in the 1950s-early 1990s. [5, No Reserve] Fine.
Lot 442
26th-19th century BC. A rectangular bronze seal with ribbed loop, inscription to the underside. 34.6 grams, 29mm (1"). Property of a Middlesex collector; acquired on the London art market before 2000; formerly part of the 'Mahjarahu Collection' formed in the late 1980s-early 1990s.Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 454
7th century BC. A bronze helmet of Archaic Corinthian typology made from a single sheet of metal, high bowl with large eye openings arching downwards forming the cheek protection, strong nose guard and everted neck protection; regularly disposed rivet holes along the edges for the inner padding. See Snodgrass, A.M., Arms & Armor of the Greeks, London, 1967; Bottini, A., Egg. M., Von Hase F. W., Pflug H., Schaaf U., Schauer P., Waurick G., Antike Helme, Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums Berlin, Mainz 1988; D’Amato R., Salimbeti A., Early Iron Age Greek Warrior, 1100-700 BC, Oxford, 2016; a near identical helmet in the Olympia Museum (Bottini, Egg, Von Hase, Pflug, Schaaf, Schauer, Waurick, 1988, p.77 figs.11-12).3 kg total, helmet: 1.12 kg, 39cm including stand (15 1/4"). From the collection of a respected UK gentleman, assembled in the 1960s; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr. Raffaele D'Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by IADAA certificate number no.01042020/1228. The Corinthian helmet was an invention of the ancient Greeks, derived from the early models of hollow-eyed helmets of the Bronze Age Achaeans, combined with the new helmet models imported from the Near East. The helmet type was a remarkable one, as with a single sheet of metal, it protected almost the entire head from the collar bone upwards (Snodgrass, 1967, p.51"). A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Fine condition, some restoration.
Lot 457
5th-4th century BC. A Chalcidian type helmet formed as a bronze bowl with carination to the crown, flared edges at the ear openings and above the eyes; a short nasal with flared rim, rear flange neck-guard; the later cheek pieces connected to the bowl by a five-part hinge, each D-shaped with recess to the forward edge and raised central panel. 978 grams, 33.5cm (13 1/4"). Part of a West London collection; formerly the property of a European gentleman living in Germany; acquired in Germany in the 1990s. Cf. Snodgrass, A. M., Arms & Armor of the Greeks, London, 1967; Bottini, A., Egg. M., Von Hase F. W., Pflug H., Schaaf U., Schauer P., Waurick G., Antike Helme, Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums, Berlin, Mainz 1988. [No Reserve] Fair condition, restored.
Lot 458
4th-3rd century BC. A sheet bronze helmet of Pilos type with slightly conical bowl, shallow carination above the gently flared rim, lateral holes for attachment of a liner (pilos felt cap). Cf. Hixenbaugh, R., Ancient Greek Helmets: A complete guide and catalogue, New York, 2019, no.H277; Bottini, A., Egg. M., Von Hase F. W., Pflug H., Schaaf U., Schauer P., Waurick G., Antike Helme, Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums, Berlin, Mainz, 1988, pp.151ff. 725 grams, 22.5cm (9"). Property of an Essex collector; formerly in an Austrian private collection formed 1980s to 2000. Fine condition, some usage damage.
Lot 459
4th century BC. A bronze figurine of a harpy modelled in the round formed as the hind-quarters of a lion with serpent for a tail, crouching rear legs and slender body with two rows of teats, feather detailing to the spread wings with lobe finials; female human torso with head erect; square repair recess to the brow obscuring the left eye. See Royal-Athena Galleries, Art of the Ancient World 2019 - Vol. XXX, cat. 39, statuette of Athena with sphinx on helmet published on Dec 4, 2018. 323 grams, 10.3cm (4"). From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a private German collection. Helmets with sphinx mounts are often visible in Greco-Roman art on the head of the Goddess Athena (Cameos and statues) and on the head of Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, in the Greek and Italic pottery since the 4th century BC. As far as we are aware this is the only unparalleled sample existing of a real helmet mount. Very fine condition, repaired. A very rare personification.
Lot 460
10th-6th century BC. A bronze horse-bit with square-section shank and reverse-scrolled ends, matched outward facing openwork cheekpieces each formed as two opposed crouching ibexes on a baseline with a rampant mountain lion behind resting a rear paw on the extended leg of a winged double-headed demon with a claw around the lion's throat, loop above the end of each wing. Cf. similar piece in style in Los Angeles County Museum of Art (The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection of Near Eastern and Central Asian Art, gift of The Ahmanson Foundation, M.76.97.102). 910 grams, 22.5cm (9"). From the private collection of a North West London lady; previously with a central London gallery; formerly acquired before 1990.Fine condition, chipped. Rare.
Lot 464
2nd millennium BC. A substantial bronze short sword with broad triangular, double-edged blade and central midrib; crescent guard to the shoulders; square-section grip with cells to accept inserts(?), and domed stone pommel. Cf. Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, cat.35, for type.917 grams, 60cm (23 1/2"). From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a UK collection, acquired in the 1990s.Fine condition.
Lot 467
2nd millennium BC. A large tubular bronze macehead with flanges to the rims, three columns of radiating spikes and three boar figures modelled in the round; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Moorey, P.R.S., Ancient Bronzes From Luristan, London, 1974, for discussion.953 grams, 29.5cm including stand. (11 3/4"). Private collection, London, UK; formed 1970s-1980s.Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 469
Late 2nd-early 3rd century AD. A bronze greave (ocreae) for cavalry or infantry use, providing defence for the shin and knee, with a separate and articulated knee-guard; five lateral tabs for attachment of the leather strings still remaining, both on the greave and knee-guard, the offset edge strips are perforated for attachment of the strap eyelets, the upper edge remains of the knee joint hinge; showing at the lower end a slightly pronounced ankle protection. See Robinson, R., The Armour of Imperial Rome, New York, 1975; Garbsch, J., Römische Paraderustüngen, München, 1979; Kolnìk, T., Rímske a Germ?nske Umenie na Slovensku, Bratislava, 1984; Junkelmann M., Reiter wie Statuen aus Erz, Mainz, 1996; Born H. / Junkelmann, M., Roman Combat and Tournament Armours - Axel Guttmann Collection, vol. 4, Mainz 1997; Bishop M.C. & Coulston J.C.N., Roman military equipment, from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, Oxford, 2006; D’Amato, R., Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier, London, 2009; D’Amato-Salimbeti, Bronze Age Greek Warrior, 1600-1100 BC, Oxford, 2011; D'Amato R. and Negin A., Decorated Roman Armour, London, 2017.306 grams, 50cm (19 1/2"). Property of an East Anglian collector; formerly acquired on the European art market in the 1990s.Fine condition.
Lot 470
2nd-1st century BC. An iron pugio military dagger of Type I from the Republican period, comprising a short triangular blade with thick midrib and swept edges, narrow point, triangular guard with chamfered upper edges, grip with facetted bulb displaying a bronze stud and disc pommel; frame of the accompanying scabbard with C-section outer edges and three flat transverse bracers, chape with disc finial, four attachment loops for mounting straps, to the obverse of the mouth an applied repoussé silver portrait bust with Julian hairstyle. See Fischer, N.L., Iron Men: Roman Masculinity and the Roman Military Dagger, Cornell University PhD thesis, 2017; also Bishop, M.C. and Coulston, J.C.N., Roman Military Equipment From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, London, 1993, p.134-5.311 grams total, 34cm (13 1/2"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s; accompanied by an academic report by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato. Type I pugio daggers are typically 28-30cm in length, the earliest and shortest of the type. The two discs that form the grip and pommel confirm its origins among a class of combat knives found on the Iberian Peninsula before the first Roman military invasion. The overall design was borrowed from the contemporary Celtiberian double-disc-handled dagger. These may initially have been taken from defeated local warriors as battlefield booty from the Numantine and Sertorian Wars (153-133 BC and 75 BC respectively"). They were then copied by Roman military smiths, and formed part of the standard legionary's kit by the time of the battle of Alesia (52 BC"). The pugio was used for close-quarters fighting and for dispatching fallen enemies. Many examples are very decorative, suggesting that it was considered a valuable back-up armament suited to certain types of combat where it was primarily used as a stabbing weapon. Fine condition.
Lot 479
Early 9th century AD. A double-edged sword of Petersen's Type E, Wheeler Type VII; the blade with fullers and signs of deployment on the battlefield; large hilt with boat-shaped guard and three-lobed pommel, both guards and pommel with silver inlay. See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Arendt, W. W. Ett svärdsfäste från vikingatiden in Fornvännen 31, 1936, pp.313-315; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; Kainov, S. Yu., ????? ?????? ? ???? ? ???????? ???????? in ??????? ?????????? ???.2. ??????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? '??????? ??????????' ??? ??????????????? ???????????? ?????, 2011, pp. 147-152; Kainov, S. Yu. Swords from Gn?zdovo in Acta Militaria Mediaevalia VIII, pp.7-68.935 grams, 94cm (37"). Property of a Kent collector; part of his family collection since the mid 1970s; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr. Raffaele D’Amato. The Petersen type E sword was a very popular type with 130 examples discovered in Europe. The most striking character for this typology is the substantial hilt, which is often ornamented with parallel silver or bronze inlays. The method is described by Arendt (1936, p. 314): 'Both guard and the pommel form a kind of containers or coverings, which contain smaller but equally shaped parts. These latter [inner parts] were braided with silver wires and placed in the way that their crossings were just under the pits in containers.' Fine condition.
Lot 50
6th-4th century BC. A Phoenician or Assyrian carved ivory diorama representing a military archer or huntsman in his chariot; the vehicle a D-shaped platform open to the rear with textured sidewall, two spoked wheels with large domed hubs, tapering shaft with papyrus-stalk detailing carved into the forward end, yoke formed as a transverse bronze pin with bronze chains forming the reins attached to the sidewall by staples; the horses modelled in galloping pose with legs extended, raised bridle and halter detailing, hatched covering to the back, plumed headdress; the chariot provided with two figures: a driver holding reins in his extended hands, wearing a short belted kilt and a small cap; the huntsman modelled larger and taller with small pedestal base, pleated kilt and banded mantle, quilted cap, drawing a bow held in his left hand, right arm bent in the draw, arrow laid against his cheek; beside the huntsman on the outer face of the chariots' sidewall a quiver with arrows set at an angle to allow easy access; mounted on a custom-made stand with cover. See Cowell, J.H., Chariots and Other Wheeled Vehicles, Oxbow Books, 2012, pl.125-129, for similar examples of chariot.1.4 kg total, 25 x 14cm (10 x 5 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; previously with central London gallery; published in Apollo magazine in April 1981; imported from the USA in the early 1970s; formerly with Mahboubian Gallery, New York since the late 1960s; accompanied by geological report No. TL3257 by geology consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz; and a copy of the relevant Apollo magazine pages; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.158480-10019. The chariot with horses was used extensively in Egypt by the Hyksos forces from the 16th century BC onward, although they may have been in use before this. Egyptian military forces used the chariot as a mobile platform from which to launch arrows, and the chariot was usually provided with a quantity of these missiles; the archer stood behind the protective wall of the chariot while the driver steered across the battlefield bringing the vehicle into range so that the attack could be launched. The chariot with bowman was also used for hunting purposes. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Fine condition, some repairs. Extremely rare.
Lot 513
Early 3rd millennium BC. A substantial squat ceramic jar with bulbous body decorated with incised panels of linear decoration, U-shaped panels with central raised boss and concentric circles, between each panel a Y-shaped motif of impressed concentric circles; hatched borders to the rim. See Briard, J. The Bronze Age in Barbarian Europe, London, 1979, for discussion.1.1 kg, 20cm wide (8"). From the family collection of a South East London collector; formerly acquired in the late 1950s.Fine condition, repaired.
Lot 516
3rd-1st century BC. A bronze penannular bracelet with flange to both rims and bifacial ornament, bands of punched pellet and saltire detailing to the edges of each face and the outer rim, pointillé chevron, pellet and other motifs flanking the gap and on the hoop opposite. 207 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; previously with the Celtic and Prehistoric Museum, Co. Kerry, Ireland; formerly in an old European collection.Very fine condition.
Lot 517
3rd-5th century AD. A Kiev culture bronze openwork brooch formed with geometric panels of red enamel and voids, trapezoidal body with cruciform footplate; spring, catch and staple to the reverse. 42.8 grams, 97mm (4"). From an old British private collection; formerly from the collection of Mr D.R.G.; acquired on the European art market in 2001. The Kiev archaeological culture was located in the basin of the rivers Dnieper and Visla between the 3rd and 5th centuries; archaeologists connect this culture with the historical ancestors of the Slavs. However, there are suggestions that in different regions of the Kiev culture the ethnogenetic processes were not the same. In some cases, the Slavic component prevailed, whilst Baltic and others were dominant elsewhere. Fine condition.
Lot 518
2nd century BC-early 1st century AD. A hollow-formed bronze staff or sceptre head of 'cotton reel' form, comprised of separate components, a broad disc with flange rim, waisted central column, applied upper disc with central chamfered lip. Cf. Jope, E. M., Early Celtic Art, Oxford, 2000, pl.302-3, described as a vehicle pole and yoke fittings; Macdonald, P., Llyn Cerrig Bach. A Study of the Copper Alloy Artefacts from the Insular La Tène Assemblage, Cardiff, 2007, fig.23, item 49. Twenty or so 'horn caps' are known in museums and private collections, all have been found in Britain and mostly in Southern England. Their exact function is unclear however early suggestions that they are axle fittings for chariots no longer holds weight. The shaft hole is too small and they do not appear in grave contexts containing chariots. A more likely hypothesis is that they were ceremonial, possibly a staff head or chair or saddle finial. 514 grams, 77mm (3"). Property of a North West London gallery; formerly in a 1980s collection; previously found Cambridgeshire, UK. Fair condition. Around twenty known to exist, an extremely rare English find.
Lot 522
6th century AD. An excessively rare gilt-bronze great square-headed brooch of Hines's Class I comprising a trapezoidal headplate with stamped and chip-carved detailing, broad bow, trefoil footplate with lappets beneath the bow, remains of the ferrous pin to the reverse of the headplate and solder scar where the catchplate was attached. See Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997; MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993; Mannering, U., Iconic Costumes, Scandinavian Late Iron Age Costume Iconography, Ancient Textiles Series vol. 25, Oxford, 2019. Featured on the front cover of Treasure Hunting magazine, June 2020; along the with story on p.10; accompanied by a copy of the Treasure Hunting Magazine pages. 86.05 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). From an important English collection; found in Lincolnshire, UK; accompanied by a report by Anglo-Saxon and Viking specialist, S. Pollington. The brooch is in remarkably good condition, thanks in large part to the quality of the mercury gilding which has retained all the ornament to the obverse surface, and to the careful cleaning and conservation which it has undergone. It has no exact parallel in the corpus of known examples of the type, but all the principal features of its design can be found on one or more other brooches in the series. Given that these brooches were relatively rare even when they were in use, and that they were individually created by craftsmen, it is likely that a unique combination of elements was considered desirable. That said, the brooch most closely resembles an example from Fairford, Gloucestershire, England (Hines's plate 8a) in some of its layout and ornament. For example, the two concentric ?-shaped bands of chip-carved Style I decoration appearing on the headplate and the presence of a facing human mask in each upper corner are features shared by both brooches. The broad bow has a shallow curvature with three raised ribs and two plain recesses - features which appear on a brooch from Laceby (Hines's plate 65b) and elsewhere. A midrib with offset punched detailing extends from the lower edge of the headplate across the bow and down the footplate as far as the chin of the lower mask; a similar feature appears also on an example from Luton, Bedfordshire (Hines's plate 23"). The footplate is formed as three radiating lobes, two smaller laterals and a larger one forming the finial; each lobe contains a facing human mask similar to those on the upper corners of the headplate; each mask is piriform and slightly domed, with a vertical midrib flanked by two pellet eyes and segmented bands representing the hair and beard. Above the lateral lobes where the bow connects to the footplate are two lappets, each a stylised profile 'horse-head' with looped lips; within the curve of the lips there is a deliberate small hole. The whole obverse (apart from the lower edge of the headplate) is framed by a continuous raised border bearing stamped decoration, each stamp a grid of four squares; this design is repeated on the midrib. Great square-headed brooches were an Anglian fashion of the early to mid-6th century AD with counterparts in southern Scandinavia and a few examples known from continental Europe - mainly from coastal areas with links to the North Sea (Mannering, 2019, especially a gold foil from Gudme, Denmark with possible brooch at the shoulder, item GU1"). They are associated with high-status females, and occur in graves with other types of brooch as well as beads, girdle-hangers and other items (Hines, 1997"). Due to their large size and impressive decoration, it is assumed that they were used to fasten a mantle or cloak worn over a peplos-style dress fastened by smaller brooches such as annular, button or small-long types worn in pairs at the shoulders or collar. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Very fine condition. A stunning example of early Anglo-Saxon art at its very best.
Lot 523
6th century AD. An exceptional parcel-gilt bronze annular brooch formed as a slightly convex underside, flat upper face with recessed crescent, hole for an iron pin and corresponding notch to the opposite edger; within the recessed crescent a running guilloche band with three-pronged finial. Cf. MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 10.5.13.71 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). Found in Oxfordshire, UK, in 1984; accompanied by an old collector's cataloguing sheet. Although described as a 'quoit' brooch in the accompanying dealer's listing, this is a fine example of a classic annular brooch with gilt decoration and notch to accept the pin. Its preservation and gilt decoration are exceptional for the type, the majority of which are flat discs with simple punched bosses to the rim. The quality and regularity of the ornament indicate the workmanship of a skilled craftsman. Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 524
Later 6th-7th century AD. A bronze disc mount with low-relief ornament; the central boss surrounded by four bird-head motifs in two addorsed pairs, outer ring of four Style II animals each with its forepaw hooked over the hindleg of its neighbour, three-band body, reversed head with jaws biting its own midriff, four notched panels to the rim; solder scars to the reverse. Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 1.4, for type.9.49 grams, 31mm (1 1/4"). Found near Harborough, Leicestershire, East Midlands, UK, whilst metal detecting on Sunday 6th September 2015; accompanied by a copy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number LVPL-9C8625.Very fine condition. Rare.
Lot 526
8th century AD. A gilt-bronze D-shaped tag or strap end with chip-carved knotwork motif. Cf. Wilson, D. M., Anglo-Saxon Ornamental Metalwork 700-1100 in the British Museum, London, 1964, pl.XVIII, 19, for a very similar pattern to a triple disc-headed pin set and pl.XXXVIII, 105, for an octofoil mount.2.3 grams, 20mm (3/4"). Found Cambridgeshire, UK.Fine condition.
Lot 527
7th century AD. A gilt-bronze mount depicting a facing human mask with curved horns above the crown terminating in birds' heads, and small lateral spur to one cheek; the hair, horns and spur with ribbed bands, the eyes pellets and mouth lentoid; iron deposits to the reverse. Cf. Hammond, B., British Artefacts - volume 1. Early Anglo-Saxon, Witham, 2010, item 1.4.5-r; Raynor, K., The Rempstone Mount: Anglo Saxon and Viking Horned Man Images & Artefacts, Nottingham, 2010 ; Pollington, S., Kerr, L. and Hammond, B., Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010; Pestell, T., Paganism in Early Anglo-Saxon East Anglia in Heslop, T.A., Mellings, E.A. and Thofner, M., Icon? Art and Belief in Norfolk from Prehistory to the Present, Woodbridge, 2012, figs. 6(a,b"). Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme under reference YORYM-FAE4AF. 4.4 grams, 24mm (1"). Found in Bainton, near Beverley, East Yorkshire, UK; accompanied by a copy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number YORYM-FAE4AF (It is not possible for this item to be exported outside of the United Kingdom"). The headgear with bird-head terminals is restricted to the 6th-7th centuries in England, although there are parallels from the material culture of both Anglian England and southern Scandinavia at this time. A pair of comparable bird-helmetted human faces can be found on the reconstructed frontal plates on the helmet found in Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo (Suffolk) depicting dancing warriors, and the male face shown on a foil fragment recovered from the barrow at Caenby (Lincolnshire"). Similar also is the figure on one of the dies found at Torslunda (Öland, Sweden) showing a male wearing a helmet with a pair of bird-headed horns. A long, triangular male face is shown on the vandyke designs on the foil horn mounts from the barrow at Taplow (Berkshire"). A male figure wearing a helmet with horns and bird-head terminals is the central design on a long triangular buckle found in grave 95 at Finglesham (Kent), and also from Finglesham (grave 138) is a mount in the form of a long, triangular human head with vertical radiating bands from the top of the head, and two crescentic horns emerging from the crown, terminating in opposed birds’ heads which meet above. A similar mount was found at Rempstone (Nottinghamshire) and privately published in Raynor (2010) while others were found more recently at Attleborough (Norfolk) and Soberton (Hampshire, PAS ref. HAMP2432"). A mount depicting a similar figure, showing the upper body with hands gripping spears, was published in Hammond (2010"). The significance of the headgear has not been fully explored but the coincidence of the birds and the head recall the later myths of Oðinn and his bird messengers, and suggest that these mythic characters were familiar in early Anglo-Saxon England. Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 528
Later 7th-8th century AD. A flat gilt-bronze trapezoidal mount section with two attachment holes; chip-carved decoration including a running guilloche to the border enclosing a panel of Insular Style ornament, a beast with slender body and spiral hip, rear leg placed in the angle of the panel, the surface pounced and with narrow borders and transverse collar, all enmeshed in a dense field of interlaced knotwork reserved from the field. Cf. the Strickland Mount in Webster, L. & Backhouse, J., The Making of England. Anglo-Saxon Art and Culture AD 600-900, London, 1991, item 107(a), for similar dense knotwork, and the Gandersheim Casket (ibid., item 138).6.5 grams, 34mm (1 1/4"). Property of a Cambridgeshire collector; found in the early 1990s. The decorative scheme of the piece indicates a metalwork who was familiar with the highly detailed decoration of items such as the Strickland Mount or the Gandersheim Casket. The pounced body in a mesh of interlaced tendrils finds parallels on the heads of three linked pins from Fiskerton, Lincolnshire (Webster and Backhouse, item 184"). The artist's ability to lay out such dense and accurate designs on so small a working surface (35 x 30mm) indicates the skill of a master craftsman. [No Reserve]Fine condition, chipped.
Lot 540
10th century AD. A hollow-formed gold pendant comprising three crosses with central bosses flanking a central entwined cross motif; the body decorated with filigree and and applied granulation; wide suspension loop in the form of a beast head with granulated and filigree decoration forming the face and hair. 9.46 grams, 40mm (1 1/2"). From a London W1, UK, collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000. This piece bears many similarities to a hoard found on the island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea. The hoard consisted of a classic Borre-style disc brooch, a neck ring of four twisted rods and a necklace of ten stylised cruciform pendants, such as this example. The items constitute a single set of jewellery and seems to be a gift from a Danish nobleman intended for presentation to a Slav woman of high standing. They were buried for safety en route, during some local emergency that resulted in it not being claimed. Evidence for the production of pendants in the Hiddensee style is provided by the remarkable find of forty-one bronze dies, as used for the manufacture of the pressed sheets onto which the filigree wires and granules were soldered. These dies were kept together in a leather bag, which had been dropped in the harbour at Hedeby. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. [No Reserve]Very fine condition.
Lot 56
6th-4th century BC. An agate seal with corroded bronze suspension ring embedded in the hole, intaglio image of a kilted huntsman with a knife grappling an animal from behind; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 12.6 grams, 26mm (1"). Property of a London gentleman; formerly acquired before 1970.Fine condition.
Lot 570
10th-12th century AD. A bronze necklace composed of cable chain (part absent) with a banner-shaped plaque pendant, the pendant with three entwined dragons to both sides, pierced border below. 46.9 grams, 47cm (19"). From an important central London collection; previously in a European collection in the 1990s; formerly acquired on the German art market in the early 1980s.[No Reserve]Fine condition.
Lot 573
9th-11th century AD. A bronze discoid pendant with integral suspension loop, a scene of two entwined beasts gripping each other's tails, possibly representing Skoll and Hati, the two wolves pursuing sun and moon. Cf. Sedov, V.V., Vostochniye Slaviane v VII-XIII vv, Moscow, 1982, pl.LXVIII, item 2.14.2 grams, 34mm (1 1/4"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990.[No Reserve]Very fine condition.
Lot 574
9th-11th century AD. A rectangular bronze pendant, one side with a cross, each arm with entwined knot finial; the other side with a standing stylised figure with blade-shaped body, two further blades flanking. 14.4 grams, 51mm (2"). From a London W1, UK, collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000.[No Reserve]Fine condition.
Lot 575
11th-12th century AD. A flat-section bronze disc pendant with loop above, openwork motif of a regardant beast with segmented body; pelletted border. Cf. Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Graber, Uppsala, 1940, fig.98, items 26-28.10.1 grams, 40mm (1 1/2"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990.[No Reserve]Very fine condition. A very nice example.
Lot 578
9th-11th century AD and later. A group of seven fragmentary amber beads comprising: two melon beads with bronze attachment in situ; a large discoid bead or weight; two bar-shaped pendants with remains of bronze attachments; a carved conical pendant with ribbed body; a carved animal(?) pendant with part of bronze loop in situ. 30 grams total, 26-52mm (1 - 2"). From the property of a London gentleman; thence by descent; previously in an important private Mayfair, London, UK, collection, acquired after 1970.[7, No Reserve]Fair condition.
Lot 595
12th century AD. A substantial gilt bronze cross pendant or fitting with expanding arms, lobe to each outer angle and pair of hinge knuckles to the outer edge; geometric cloisonné enamel pattern to the face with intersecting circles and Maltese cross motifs reserved on green and blue enamel fields; recess to each lobe. See Zarnecki, G., Holt, J. and Holland, T., English Romanesque Art 1066-1200, London, 1984, for discussion.244 grams, 13cm (5"). Property of a London lady, part of her family's Swiss collection; formerly acquired in the 1980s.Fine condition, one hinge knuckle absent.
Lot 596
14th century AD. A limoges bronze pyxis with enamelled fields to the sidewall and hinged conical lid, reserved scrolled tendrils to the sidewall and heater shields with heraldic ornament, enamelled medallions to the lid with reserved dragon motifs, cruciform handle. 246 grams, 12cm (4 3/4"). Acquired in South Yorkshire, UK; previously in the Rintoul family collection; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.157641. A video of this lot can be viewed on Timeline Auctions website. Fine condition.
Lot 603
14th-15th century AD. A large circular uniface bronze seal matrix depicting the incuse image of a crowned king seated facing on a double-headed leopard throne bearing the nimbate infant Jesus on his right knee and holding a lis-tipped sceptre, with six stars bearing the incuse and reversed '+S hOSPTALIS:CRV[C]IF[O]RORI:DE BONONIA' inscription for 'seal of the hospital of the crucifixion of Bologna' and with suspension loop at top; reverse blank. 42.69 grams, 43mm diameter (1 3/4"). Property of a Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK, gentleman; formerly in an old London coin and medal collection formed before 2000.[No Reserve]Fine condition; cleaned, with two small perforations at lower edge.
Lot 1004
2nd century AD. A discoid bronze plate brooch with openwork design of an external wreath and monogram 'RMA', the whole forming the word 'ROMA'; hinged pin and catch to the reverse. 9.1 grams, 30mm (1"). Ex Mr RWM collection; acquired on the European art market in the 1980's. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 1018
1st-3rd century AD. A bronze square-shaped bell with tapering body, loop handle above, small spur to each corner of the lower rim; remains of ferrous pin for the clapper. 45 grams, 55mm (2 1/4"). From an East London collection; previously in a collection formed between 1990-2000. Fine condition.
Lot 1021
4th century AD. A group of four bronze crossbow brooches, each with three onion-shaped knops to the headplate, deep bow, rectangular footplate with integral catch to the reverse. 170 grams total, 66-90mm (2 1/2 - 3 1/2"). Property of a European gentleman living in London; formerly from an old private collection formed in the early 1980s; one accompanied by an old collector's information card. [4, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Loading...-
350105 item(s)/page