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Click here to subscribe2nd millennium BC. A bronze dagger with lentoid-section leaf-shaped blade, double-waisted grip with transverse ribbed collars, the pommel formed as two crescentic lobes with a domed boss to the centre of each face. See Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006 for discussion. 315 grams, 33cm (13"). Property of a North London gentleman; acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Fair condition.
Middle Bronze Age, 1400-1150 BC. A complete palstave axehead from the Manston hoard pit deposit being one of the best examples in the hoard; triangular flanges rise from the butt to the stop bar; below the septum a hollow to both faces; narrow body expanding to a wide triangular blade with slight flare at the tips. See Evans, John, The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, pp.76-84 and figs.56-68 for similar types. See Portable Antiquities Scheme, reference PAS KENT-495597 (this find"). 475 grams, 18cm (7"). Found near Manston, Kent, UK, 2016; accompanied by copies of the British Museum PAS report number KENT-495597, and Treasure Act documentation under Treasure Reference 2016 T618. Fine condition. A rare opportunity to acquire a British Bronze Age axe from a recorded treasure hoard.
8th-9th century AD. A bronze lozengiform strap end with beast-head finial, applied silver panels with niello-filled La Tène-style Hiberno-Saxon ornament. Cf. Thomas, G. Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age Strap-Ends 750-1100: Part 1, Finds Research Group datasheet 32, Sleaford, 2007, item 1 for type. 8.4 grams, 46mm (1 3/4"). Formerly from the collection of Maurice Braham in the 1980s. Fine condition.
1st-3rd century AD. A life-size solid bronze right hand in open position, the five fingers raised as a stop sign, the hand and finger lines well marked, detailed nails, a strong socketted circular opening for the insertion of the staff, joined by a fixing hole opened on the palm, possibly the top of a military standard or a cult object. Cf. a similar item from Martigny, in Zürich, Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Inventory Nr. 41434, see Von Gonzenbach, V. Fides Exercituum, Eine Hand aus Vindonissa, in JberProVindon 1951/52,, pp.5 ff.,nachgedruckt in Von Gonzenbach, V., Schriften zu Vindonissa und seinen Truppen, in VGesVind 10 Basel 1991, pp.69 ff. 83f.; Toepfer K. M., Signa Militaria, Die römischen Feldzeichen in der Republik und im Prinzipat, Mainz, 2011, catalogue n. NZ 52. 1.2 kg, 22.5cm (9"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired London art market, 2000s. This item can be interpreted in two possible ways, It may have been used as the top of a military standard (signia), carried at the head of a century. The image of a hand with phalerae in shape of a patera is attested in a military context, such as the signia of Alexandrus, represented on his stela from Ramleh, in Bulak (Nicopolis, near Alexandria"). An open left and right hand are at the top of two standards decorated with seven phalerae. Alexandrus was a Macedonian Roman citizen, serving in the Legio II Trajana Fortis (Toepfer, 2011, pl.112, nr. SD68"). Conversely, Toepfer suggests that similar bronze hands were maybe too small for an attachment at the top of a massive military standard, they had no noble -metal coating and differed from the hands shown in representations (the fingers being significantly less extended), so they were maybe intended for cult use. Fine condition. Rare.
13th-15th century AD. A bronze heater-shaped harness mount with three claw-shaped attachment feet; the shield with heraldic blazon: ermine on a fess gules three escallops argent. Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number NMS-0C5943. 43.8 grams, 60mm (2 1/2"). Found Bircham, Norfolk, UK; accompanied by a copy of Portable Antiquities Scheme report number NMS-0C5943. Fine condition.
9th-7th century BC. A bronze pyxis with splayed openwork foot, narrow stem, bulbous body narrowing to the rim, linear incisions and ring-and-dot motifs to the body, each zoomorphic side handle pierced, an oval lid pierced twice to match the lobes for suspension; lid with extended winged handles and central knop handle. Cf. Benaki Museum, Athens, Accession number: ?? 7888 for type. 75 grams total, 74-81mm (3").Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. These lidded bronze pyxides most likely originate from the area of Northern Greece, fitting a type and style typical of the Geometrical Period (9th-7th century BC), with linear motifs to the bodies. The vessels would have been hung, as indicated by their perforations, and could have been used to hold perfume or oils. The 'sickle' type pyxis is so-called because of the shape of its wings, which are said to resemble sickles, but elsewhere these wings have been identified as stylised bird protomes.[2] Fine condition.
2nd millennium BC. A leaf-shaped bronze spearhead with tubular socket extending to the tip of the blade, the blade with bevelled edges and two crescent-shaped openings. 91 grams, 14.5cm (5 3/4"). From the family collection of a South East London collector; formerly acquired in the late 1950s. [No Reserve] Very fine condition, professionally cleaned and conserved.
12th-10th century BC. A bronze Troy type sword or rapier blade, leaf-shaped in plan; the midrib extending to the short tang with curved lateral extensions to the shoulders, tang with flattened finial to accept the hilt. Cf. Branigan, K. Aegean Metalwork of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Oxford, 1974, pl.11, item 483 ascribed to Troy (Anatolian Troad"). 391 grams, 54.5cm (21 1/2"). Property of a North West London gallery; formerly in a 1980s collection. Fine condition.
2nd-1st millennium BC. A bronze spearhead with leaf-shaped blade, raised keeled midrib extending to a short flared socket pierced for attachment. 89 grams, 18.5cm (7 1/4"). From the family collection of a South East London collector; formerly acquired in the late 1950s. [No Reserve] Very fine condition, professionally cleaned and conserved.
2nd century AD. A bronze statuette of Priapus wearing a long sleeved tunic, holding the robe at the corners, exposing his exaggerated genitalia and an offering of flowers, standing on a round pedestal base, wearing Greek type (crepidae), finely-detailed head with the hairstyle and beard of a Greek philosopher. Cf. for a similar statuette in the collection of the Paul Getty Museum, inventory n. 73.AB.21; see Dunleavy C. A.,The Image of Priapus: Ambiguity and Masculinity in Roman Visual Culture, Bristol, 2018. 100 grams, 90mm (3 1/2"). Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. The most common representations of Priapus date from the Hellenistic period, showing him standing, with a short beard to the chin, wearing either a long, feminine garment, or a long-sleeved tunic reminiscent of Eastern dress. His garment was typically shown gathered up in the front, used to hold an abundance of fruit and flowers, and revealing his characteristic oversized phallus. Very fine condition.
2nd-3rd century AD. A bronze lidded reliquary jar, squat in profile and raised ring and knop handler to the lid; the contents comprising mainly glass beads of various types including tubular and spherical, and other offerings. 584 grams total, bowl: 13.3cm (5 1/4"). From an old Tokyo collection; previously the property of a Japanese gentleman since the early 1980s. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
2nd-1st century BC. A bronze fitting comprising a lobed base with attachment loop below, standing figure of a centaur with curved club resting on the shoulder, left foreleg raised and supported on a spigot, curved triangular-section arch connected to the rump terminating in a crescent over the figure's head; mounted on a custom-made stand, possibly a chariot fitting. See Langdon, S. Art and Identity in Dark Age Greece, 1100-700 BCE, Cambridge University Press, 2008; statuettes of centaur are visible in the Greek Art since the 8th century BC (Metropolitan Museum inventory number 17.190.2072) and continued in the Archaic (statuette of a centaur in Princeton Museum, 530 BC) and Hellenistic world. 414 grams total, 22.5cm with stand (9").Property of a London gentleman; previously acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s.The first attested image of a centaur dates from the 10th century, from Lefkandi, possibly representing Chiron, who trained the heroes Heracles and Achilles. By the 8th century BC, centaurs, typically represented on pottery, were shown in wild areas, existing between civilisation and the natural world. There is no known representation of a centaur engaged in combat or violence. Susan Langdon argues that these Attic centaurs show 'positive masculine traits', as they were creatures which trained young boys to be men (Langdon 2008, p.106").Fine condition.
13th-14th century AD. A gilt bronze figure modelled in the half-round, standing wearing a knee-length robe and high boots, conical helmet(?) and coif, arms bent across the chest; hollow to the reverse with fixing hole at knee height. 34.9 grams, 76mm (3"). From the family collection of a Hampstead gentleman; formerly acquired in the 1980s. Fine condition.
12th-14th century AD. A bifacial gilt bronze pendant with triangular cap, central disc flanked by scrolled arms and panel below, inset turquoise, carnelian and emerald studs. 16 grams, 36mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London lady, part of her family's Swiss collection; formerly acquired in the 1980s. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
10th-11th century AD. A large bronze enkolpion reliquary cross pendant comprising two narrow hinged plates and an articulated suspension loop with two vertical ribs; obverse with Jesus Christ on the cross, dressed with a long robe (sticharion) and two small figures of Evangelists at his side, under the arms the inscription (?C?C ??? = Iesus Christos Nike = Jesus Christ is victorious); reverse with the Theotokos (Mother of God) in orans posture and the four nimbate busts of Evangelists, with the Gospel in their hands, surrounding, with three Greek letters flanking them (? = Matthew, ? = Mark, ? = Christos) Cf. Cormack R., Vassilaki M., Byzantium 330-1453, London, 2008, p.226, nn.197. 121 grams, 11.5cm (4 1/2"). From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. Fine condition.
19th century AD. A gilt-bronze figure of Buddha sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower dais, flower resting on the left arms and right arm bent with hand in the gesture of reassurance. 5.3 kg, 37cm (14 1/2"). Property of a North London gentleman; previously in a private collection formed in the 1990s. Fine condition.
1st century AD. A finger from a life-size Roman bronze statue, possibly from an Imperial statue at Verulamium (St Albans, Hertfordshire"). Cf. Toynbee, J.M.C. Art in Britain Under the Romans, Oxford, 1964, pl.IV for the bronze head of Claudius recovered from the River Alne, Suffolk, its deposition popularly associated with the Boudican Revolt of AD 61; see also Beutler, F. et al. Der Adler Roms. Carnuntum und der Armee der Cäsaren, Bad-Deutsch Altenberg, 2017, item 26. Reported to FLO Matthew Fittock, PAS: BH-089D64. 125 grams, 65mm (2 1/2"). The Chris Rudd collection, Norfolk, UK; formed since the 1970s; found St Albans (near the road to the south of the amphitheatre), UK, in the late 1970s; accompanied by Chris Rudd collector's notes and ticket for item RB2, and various communications with the British and St. Albans Museums, and offprints pursuing the possibility that this finger could be from the same statue of Claudius as the famous head found in the River Alde, Suffolk, in 1907 and now in Colchester Museum; and a copy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report number BH-0B9D64. Fine condition. An extremely rare British find.
1st-2nd century AD. A small bronze swing handled situla with lathe turned designs on the body, arched handle with nicely shaped lugs, bronze loops to the sides; possibly used for medical purposes. See a similar item in the Varna Archaeological Museum, preserved inside the grave of a physician, dated to the first or second century AD. 302 grams, 14.5cm (5 3/4"). Property of a South London collector; previously acquired on the European art market 1970-1980. Roman situlae, used for medical, religious or alimentary purposes, favoured a simple shape curving from the base, becoming vertical at the top, with a wide mouth and no shoulder, but sometimes a projecting rim. These included another variety of uses, including for washing and bathing. Any decoration was often concentrated on the upper part of the sides, and often, in the simpler situlae, a lathe decoration as with this specimen. Very fine condition.
19th-20th century AD. A gilt-bronze hollow-formed statue of Arya Tara sitting on a lotus flower dais flanked by flowers; inset glass, turquoise, lapis lazuli and other cabochons to the headdress, bracelets and other items of costume. 4.1 kg, 36cm (14 1/4"). Ex North London gentleman; formerly in a private collection formed between 1990 and 2000. Fine condition.
Circa 1350 AD. A gilded sheet-silver double-cup or doppelkopf comprising two shallow bowls with rims designed to lock together and each with a curved ledge handle forming a loop upon closure; the lower cup being slightly smaller than the upper, featuring a tiered foot with carinated profile and gilt beaded rim, inset roundel to the underside with similar gilt and beaded rim and low-relief engraved scene depicting a robed lady (perhaps representing Eve in the Garden of Eden?) kneeling on her right knee to pick one of two sprays of flowers in a dense foliage field, her left hand resting on the raised left knee; the handle a curved rectangular tab with gilt incised borders; the upper cup similar in form with indented roundel to the centre, lacking the applied foot, and beaded band to the shoulder. Eight other examples of this object type are known to exist all dating to the 14th century: one held at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; one held at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, being part of the Cloisters collection acquired in 1983; one part of the Lingenfeld Treasure, unearthed 1894 and now in the Historisches Museum der Pfatz, Speyer; one part of the Colmar Treasure, found 1863, and now held at the Musée de Cluny, Alsace; one discovered in the garden of the Seedorf Convent, found 1606, and now held at the Historisches Museum, Basel; one as part of the Erfurt Treasure, unearthed 1998, and held at the Erfurt Synagogue; one held at the National Museum, Zurich, and the last example held at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, acquired in 1960; see Treasures of the Black Death exhibition catalogue, p.72-3; also Meyer, G. L'Orfèvrerie médiévale au musée d'Unterlinden à Colmar, Cahiers alsaciens d'archéologie, d'art et d'histoire, vol.XXIV, 1981; Fritz, J.M. Goldschmiedekunst der Gotik in Mitteleuropa, Munich, 1982; Taburet-Delahaye, E. L'Orfèvrerie gothique, XIIIe-XVe siècle au musée de Cluny, Paris, 1989; and Taburet-Delahaye, E. Les Bijoux du trésor de Colmar in Le Trésor de Colmar, Paris, 1999. 385 grams total, 13.5cm each (5 1/4"). Property of a London collector; found in a gravel pit near to the River Danube, at Donauwoerth, Western Bavaria, in the 1960s; accompanied by an academic report and photographs, plus images of the other eight examples known; three found as part of treasures, and all held in museum collections. The doppelkopf is a pair of vessels which fit together so that the upper serves as a cover during storage and as a second drinking vessel when removed. It is a specific type of vessel which is known to have come into use in the 14th century. The place in which they were manufactured is presently uncertain but the majority of known surviving examples were discovered in the Rhineland and Switzerland. Examples were present in both the Erfurt and Colmar treasures dating from the early 14th century. It is understood that the format of two open shallow vessels forming an enclosed space may have been copied from wooden exemplars and others in more exotic materials such as ostrich eggs or coconuts. There are illustrations of the wooden forms from Freiburg in Brisgau in Taburet-Delahaye (1999"). The significance of the specific form of the vessel derives from the importance in medieval Germanic culture of taking strong drink in the making of celebrations (toasts) and the customs and rituals surrounding these celebrations and amuletic (even supernatural) powers ascribed to them. The custom of Minnetrinken in which commemorative celebrations were made to invoke the memory of dead family members and loved ones, was especially associated with weddings with the fictive inclusion of the dead 'ancestors' of both families as witnesses to the matrimonial act. In this connection, these cups appear to be connected specially with Jewish weddings where two drinks of wine are taken as part of the ceremony of blessing. In Christian contexts, the list of persons celebrated could be extended to saints, martyrs, Christ and the Virgin Mary - not always approved or sanctioned by the ecclesiastical authorities but firmly entrenched in secular custom and folklore. Over time, the church came to accept the custom of Johannesminne in honour of St. John the Evangelist. The double-cups can never have been numerous and indeed only a handful are known to survive; all but the present example being in museum collections. The circumstances of its discovery are intriguing: it was recovered in the 1960s from a gravel pit near the town of Donauwerth, western Bavaria, near the banks of the River Danube. The pit held many finds which were duly preserved by the landowners, including from Bronze Age down to Roman artefacts of bronze and iron with a smaller quantity of medieval items suggesting that the pit area was in use over many centuries (indeed, millennia) either as a place of deliberate deposition or perhaps a location where a difficult river crossing made casual loss unavoidable. The town of Donauwerth stands at the junction of the rivers Danube (Donau) and Wörnitz. A riverine trading port, the town became the last call for ships travelling inland from eastern Europe and Vienna. Its near neighbour is the city of Augsburg, which was granted the status of a Free Imperial City in 1276. Originally a Swabian settlement, political power in Donauwerth was held by the dukes of Upper Bavaria in the mid-13th century and in the 14th century, Donauwerth was made an imperial city. It adopted the Reformation in 1555. [2] Fair condition. Excessively rare, all other known examples held in museum collections.
6th-4th century BC. A matched pair of silver bowls, each with a broad flat base and low mesomphalos, carinated bowl and flange rim. Cf. Muscarella, O.W. Bronze and Iron. Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, item 326 for lobed variant of the type. 401 grams total, 16-16.3cm (6 1/4"). From a private collection, Lancashire, UK; acquired on the UK art market; previously in an early 1990s London collection. [2] Fine condition.
13th-6th century BC. A tubular bronze cudgel with raised ribs, two rectangular panels of braid detailing and two flanking couchant lions with heads raised. 407 grams, 18.5cm (7 1/4"). From a private collection, Lancashire, UK; acquired on the UK art market; previously in an early 1990s London collection. Fine condition.
8th-7th century BC. A long sword with double-edged iron lentoid-section blade, bronze hilt with scooped lower guard, three beaded collars, crescentic pommel with lobe finials and raised knop to the upper face; traces of mineralised wooden scabbard present, especially near tip of blade. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, item 19. 1.1 kg, 77cm (30 1/4"). Property of a North West London gentleman; formerly with a central London gallery in 1990. Fine condition; blade conserved. A rare type.
11th-8th century BC. An almond-shaped bronze weight, a shiqlu; the underside engraved with an inscription running lengthwise, reading right to left possibly šgdwdl or šgdwdn; provincial workmanship. 8.9 grams, 25mm (1"). From a private American collection, acquired in the early 1980s. The shiglu became better know in Judea as a shekel. The standard weight is 8.6 grams, with a slight margin of error. Fine condition. Rare.
New Kingdom, 1550-1066 BC. A group of two eye inlays from a mummy case, each formed as a white glass panel with raised black glass pupil fitted into a bronze frame with bar extension; mounted in a custom-made stand. 467 grams total, 20cm with stand (8"). Property of a London gentleman; previously acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s. [2] Fine condition.
1st millennium BC. A bronze leaf-shaped spearhead with raised midrib extending to a tapering socket, pierced transversely for attachment. 80 grams, 16cm (6 1/4"). From the family collection of a South East London collector; formerly acquired in the late 1950s. [No Reserve] Very fine condition, professionally cleaned and conserved.
11th century AD. A gilt-bronze Ringerike style 'Great Beast' finial for a Viking longship weathervane formed as a standing quadruped with scrolls to the hips and shoulders, raised head with piriform eye; rivetted at the feet to a fragment of a rectangular panel For ship-vanes of Ringerike style see Graham-Campbell, J. Viking Art, London, 2013, items 138-140; for a discussion of Viking-period weather vanes and their re-use as badges of nobility in Normandy, see Engström, J. & Nykänen, P. New Interpretations of Viking Age Weathervanes, in Fornvännen, vol.91, 1996; Lindgrén, S. Viking Weather-Vane Practices in Medieval France in Fornvännen, vol.91, 1996 and Lindgrén, S. Viking Weather-Vane Practices in Medieval France in Fornvännen, vol.78, 1983. 147 grams, 70mm (2 3/4"). From a London W1, UK, collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000. The navigation techniques in use in Iron Age Northern Europe were very sophisticated, as would be expected from people bordering the Baltic, North Sea and North Atlantic where boat- and ship-building traditions have been perfected over more than a thousand years. A carved wooden panel from Bergen, Norway, shows a number of Viking longships at sea, some with weathervanes mounted on the stempost. They are mounted vertically with the beast on the outer end. Gilded bronze weathervanes appear on the roofs of medieval churches in Sweden, Norway and Finland where they are often regarded as ornamental: symbols of access to resources and craftsmanship for the important families who endowed such buildings. These weathervanes in many cases originally adorned ships and were used as part of the navigational equipment. They may have inspired the medieval Norman custom of attaching a gilded weathervane or cock to church roofs, which eventually spread to secular buildings such as castles in France and Italy where their use was restricted to certain ranks of nobility (Lindgrén, 1983"). Weathervanes were used for determining the strength and direction of the wind, in conjunction with the sólarsteinn (sunstone) Icelandic feldspar which polarises sunlight and allows the sun's position to be determined in overcast conditions. A wooden bearing-dial fragment was found in Greenland - a destination colonised by Icelanders in the 11th century - with the 'horizon' divided into 32 sectors. This would give an accuracy of about 11 degrees per sector, which would make landfall using latitude sailing a straightforward matter. Engström & Nykänen (1996) suggested that the vanes were decorated with holes or markers on the outer edge which enabled the helmsman to make an assessment of the sun's height from the position and length of the shadow, and thus to work out his position by rule of thumb. These holes may have been used to attach streamers as a visual aid. The ships equipped with these weathervanes may have been the 'flagships' of their fleets, taking the lead in navigation and in manoeuvring. The dragon on the weathervane may thus have signified the position of the fleet's leader, and may even have given rise to the name drakka (dragon) for the largest type of Viking period ship. Fine condition. Extremely rare.
2nd millennium BC. A bronze figurine of a nude male standing with hands folded to the midriff, the face with exaggerated nose and eyes, crescent mouth and triangular beard. Cf. Aruz, J. Art of the First Cities. The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, New York, 2003, item 39 for similar stance. 157 grams, 94cm (3 1/4"). From a private collection, Lancashire, UK; acquired on the UK art market; previously in an early 1990s London collection. The use of figurines in a similar stance, standing straight with the hands folded together on the chest, is usually associated with acts of prayer and worship. Aruz (2003) offers many examples of the type in ceramic, bronze and limestone. Some apparently formed part of the foundation deposit for impressive and important buildings; when re-building was necessary, the original figures were re-buried with subsequent re-dedication figures offering a visual summary of the site's construction history. Fine condition.
Mid 12th-8th century BC. A British triple-banded gold 'ring money' from the late Bronze Age, a composite Collar-Type ring comprising three conjoined bands. Cf. Taylor, J.T. Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles, Cambridge, 1980, pl.30h (which was found at Granta Fen, Ely, Cambs) and 34d and 34e. 2.89 grams, 14mm (1/2"). The Chris Rudd collection, Norfolk, UK; formed since the 1970s; previously in an Isle of Man collection; formerly in the Shamrock collection; found near Foxton, Cambridgeshire, UK, 28 October 1992; accompanied by Chris Rudd collector's notes and ticket for item BA27, and an offprint on Bronze Age goldwork of the British Isles by Joan J. Taylor. Chris Rudd says: 'Though primarily made as a piece of jewellery – almost certainly a tress-ring in this instance – such rings probably had a secondary purpose too, as a convenient method of portable wealth storage. In that sense one might justifiably regard these items as a form of primitive pre-coinage money, though today’s archaeologists are keen that we refer to them as ‘penannular rings’ rather than ‘ring money’.' Very fine condition. Extremely rare.
Early 1st millennium AD. A bronze hand and forearm from a statuette with fingers partly closed around an object (now absent); lightly incised inscription along the arm in Aramaic(?) or South Arabian script; mounted on a stand. 118 grams total, 12cm with stand (4 3/4"). Ex the private collection of Mr S.M., London, UK, 1970-1999. Fine condition.
10th century AD. A large provincial bronze enkolpion reliquary cross featuring a hinged base and a suspension loop, the front is decorated with the incised image of Our Lord, displayed in the position of Lord of the Universe (Pantokrator) with the halo surrounding his head, at the four sides the Angelic Armies of the Archangels coupled, with the name of three of them (?????? = Michael, ?????? = Gabriel, ?????? = Raphael) still visible, all dressed in finely decorated robes; on the back side a second cross (stavros) inscribed inside the enkolpion and decorated with a spiral pattern, each arm of the cross with a protruding three pointed star. See Wamser, L., Zahlhaas G., Rom und Byzanz, Archäologische Kostbarkeiten aus Bayern, München, 1999, pp.200-202. 110 grams, 11.5cm (4 1/2"). From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. Very fine condition.
Middle Bronze Age, 1400-1150 BC. A complete palstave axehead from the Manston hoard pit deposit being one of the best examples in the hoard; triangular flanges rise from the butt to the stop bar; below the stop bar to both faces, a depression with a design comprising three raised lines within a raised shield outline; narrow body expanding to a wide triangular blade with slight flare at the tips. See Evans, John, The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, pp. 76-84 and figs.56-68 for similar types. See Portable Antiquities Scheme, reference PAS KENT-495597 (this find"). 455 grams, 16.7cm (6 1/2"). Found near Manston, Kent, UK, 2016; accompanied by copies of the British Museum PAS report number KENT-495597, and Treasure Act documentation under Treasure Reference 2016 T618. Fine condition. A rare opportunity to acquire a British Bronze Age axe from a recorded treasure hoard.
Late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BC. A carved pink limestone columnar idol with waisted body, transverse slot to each flat face. Cf. Pottier, M. H., Matériel funéraire de la Bactriane méridonale de L' Age du Bronze, Mémoire, Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations, 36, p.16, pl.V, nos.34-5 for two virtually identical lingams called 'masses d'arme', and p.43, pl.XXXV, nos.292-3 for similar yoni; also, Schmidt, E. F., Tepe Hissar Excavations, 1931, The Museum Journal, XXIII, no.4, 1933, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, pl.CXXXVI. 12.4 kg, 36cm (14"). Private collection, South West London; acquired before 2000. Fine condition.
1st century BC-2nd century AD. A discoid bronze seal with facing portrait of a figure with tall headdress, cloak tied to the chest, both arms raised holding objects, enclosed within a plain border; strap handle to the reverse, accompanied by typed and signed note by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Bronze Disc with Loop on Back, 56 x 56.5 x 12mm. The face of this disc has a figure depicted on it in low relief within an outer band. It shows a figure from the waist up with headdress marked by a spike at the front. In one hand he holds an arrow or other such item, and the other hand is gripping a different item. The body is marked by curving side strokes and a circle and short cross strokes within the side strokes. This comes from west central Asia and dates to c. 100 B.C-200 A.D. It is a rare item and in fair condition.' 47 grams, 56mm (2 1/4"). The Signo collection, the property of a West London businessman, formed in the late 1980s-early 1990s; collection number U-680, academically researched and catalogued by the late Professor Lambert in the early 1990s. Fine condition.
2nd-3rd century AD. A bronze figure of Venus (Greek Aphrodite), her hair elaborately dressed with ringlets to the shoulders, with bun and long braids falling over them, naked from hips up, her left covering the breast and the right hand the pubis holding a loosely draped cloak (chlamys) around her hips exposing buttocks and pudendum, standing upon a circular pedestal, decorated with concentric circles. See for similar typology Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 76. 310 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Property of a South London collector; previously acquired on the European art market 1970-1980. Venus was one of the most popular deities to be represented in small scale sculpture for centuries across the Mediterranean world, and one of the most common to be found in household shrines. The goddess was not only associated with love, but also with fertility in both humans and nature, and was regarded as a protector of the crops under her Etruscan name of Turan. At the beginning she was even associated with the war and very often represented with a spear in hand. She was also considered to be a mother goddess who protected her devotees under the name of Venus Genetrix. According the Greco-Roman mythology she was the mother of Aeneas, the Trojan hero from whom Julius Caesar claimed descent, and was thus the progenitor of the whole Julio-Claudian dynasty. Very fine condition.
8th-5th century BC. A very large bronze brooch comprising a square-section bow with two coils attached to a round-section arm with spiral ribbing to the head, bulbous collar, s-curved catch and discoid plaque to the foot. Cf. Hattatt, R. Ancient and Romano-British Brooches, Sherborne, 1982, item 197. 172 grams, 25.5cm (10"). Formerly in the Chris Rudd collection, Norfolk, UK; formed since the 1970s; collection number E1; formerly in the Fabulous Fibulas collection, Southern UK; formed in the 1980s and 1990s. Chris Rudd has collected ancient coins and antiquities since the 1940s. As an amateur archaeologist he found many himself at Badbury Rings, Dorset, 1952-53. He also dug at Hod Hill with Professor Sir Ian Richmond and at Wroxeter with Dame Kathleen Kenyon and Dr Graham Webster. Today he is best known as a Celtic coin dealer. His catalogues have been described as ‘an important research source’ by Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe and ‘treasure houses of delight’ by Dr Anne Ross. Coins and artefacts associated with Chris Rudd – as a collector, dealer and valuer – can be seen in The British Museum and other museums. This collection was formed since the 1970s. Fine condition, repaired.
Late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BC. A carved marble(?) columnar idol with transverse slot to each face. Cf. Pottier, M. H., Matériel funéraire de la Bactriane méridonale de L' Age du Bronze, Mémoire, Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations, 36, p.16, pl.V, nos.34-5 for two virtually identical lingams called 'masses d'arme', and p.43, pl.XXXV, nos.292-3 for similar yoni; also, Schmidt, E. F., Tepe Hissar Excavations, 1931, The Museum Journal, XXIII, no.4, 1933, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, pl.CXXXVI. 6.3 kg, 19.3cm (7 1/2"). Property of a North London gentleman; previously with Pars Gallery, London, W1; in the 1990s. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
A CHINESE BRONZE CENSER AND COVER, QING DYNASTY, LATE 19TH CENTURY The rectangular censer with tapering sides, raised on four lion-mask feet, the sides chased with peony blooms, the removable lid pierced with two Ruji-shaped apertures surmounted by a Fu-dog finial, tarnishing, age wear, handles lacking18,5cm high by 14cm wide
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