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Click here to subscribeAsia Minor, 8th-6th century BC. A bronze bell-shaped stamp seal with suspension ring to the top above two addorsed eagle heads; discoid stamp with horse and rider, pellet and moon filler to the top, fish to the side. 22.7 grams, 27mm (1"). Property of a respected gentleman, from his private collection formed 1965-2018. Extremely fine condition.
4th-6th century AD. A hemispherical silver bowl with chamfered rim, engraved bird to the centre, shallow fluting to the inner face; broad flared bronze(?) foot, possibly a later addition. 465 grams, 17.5cm (6 3/4"). Property of a North London lady; gifted from her father's collection; formerly with a Mayfair gallery, London, UK; previously acquired in the 1980s. Fine condition, two small holes.
3rd-7th century AD. A large bronze hemispherical bowl with flat rim, engraved image of a bird with collar and trail to the neck. 1.2 kg, 30.5cm (12"). Property of a North London lady; gifted from her father's collection; formerly with a Mayfair gallery, London, UK; previously acquired in the 1980s. Fine condition.
5th-6th century AD. A suite of belt fittings comprising: ten horizontal silver-gilt plaques, each a cluster of five parcel-gilt discs with leaf-shaped lateral extensions, loop below and parcel-gilt disc pendant with raised rim and centre; gilt-bronze belt buckle with addorsed animal-head motifs, radiating ribs to the loop, triangular-section tongue with bird-head detailing; square pyramidal counter-plate with petal detailing, central knop; mounted on a display board. 934 grams, overall length 105cm (41 1/4"). Previously in a private collection since 1980; previously with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Archéologie, Paris, 21 May 2014, lot 139 (22,000-22,000 euros); accompanied by copies of the relevant Pierre Bergé catalogue pages. [12] Very fine condition.
1st millennium BC. A bronze annular mount modelled in the round; ibex head to the top with large curving segmented horns, two lions to the sides, ring decorated with three collars to each side. 420 grams, 12cm (4 3/4"). Property of a Hampstead gentleman; from his family collection formed since the 1970s. Fine condition.
2nd millennium BC. A pair of bronze vessels comprising: a conical chalice with stem and discoid foot, carinated detailing top rim and lower body; a squat jar with carination to the shoulder, flared rim. 800 grams total, 95-115mm (3 1/2 - 4 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; part of a Mayfair collection formed in the 1970s and 1980s. [2] Fine condition, cleaned.
5th-2nd century BC. A matched pair of gilt-bronze fasteners, each an openwork plaque with opposed scrolled serpents above a pair of reclining lions; two attachment loops to the reverse; mounted on a custom-made stands. 442 grams total including stands, 11.5cm each including stand (4 1/2"). On the UK art market since 1999; with D'Orient et Art Précolombien, Artcurial, Paris, 22 May 2018, lot 16 (4,000-5,000 euros); formerly on the Japanese art market; accompanied by copies of the relevant D'Orient et Art Précolombien, Artcurial catalogue pages. [2] Very fine condition.
3rd-1st century BC. A pair of gilt bronze buckle plaques, each comprising a rectangular plaque decorated with repoussé rope border and two addorsed beaked ungulates each with forelegs bent beneath the body, hindquarters rotated back to meet the back with rear legs to the top, tails terminating in eared raptor's heads; perforation to the left and two vertical loops to the back for attachment; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Bunker, E. Nomadic Art of the Eastern Eurasian Steppes: The Eugene V. Thaw and Other New York Collections,, New York, item 76 for type; and cf. So, J. F. & Bunker, E. C. Traders and raiders on China’s Northern Frontier, Washington, 1995, pp.145-146, no.66. 620 grams, 28cm including stand (11"). On the London art market since 1994; previously with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Archéologie, Paris, 16 May 2018, lot 143 (2,200-2,500 euros); previously with Malter Galleries Inc, USA. Multiple plaques with this design are known in collections across the world and finds have been attested from excavations at Xichagou, Xifeng county Liaoning Province and at Daodunzi, Tongxin county, Ningxia, indicating their mass-production. Another matched pair can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession numbers: 2002.201.106 and 107"). Very fine condition.
Uttar Pradesh, Northern India, mid-2nd millennium BC. A large Copper Hoard Culture flat-section anthropomorphic figure standing with legs spread and arms curled to the sides; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Yule, P. The Bronze Age Metalwork of India, Prähistorische Bronzefunde XX, München, 1985, pl.II, no.239 for discussion. 4.8 kg, 41cm wide (16 1/4"). Acquired by the current owner on the US art market in 2011, similar to Pierre Bergé & Associés, Archéologie, Paris, 16 December 2015, lot 139 (16,000-18,000 euros); accompanied by copies of the relevant Pierre Bergé catalogue pages. Very fine condition.
8th-7th century BC. A bronze conical helmet formed from a single sheet with securing staples to the rear, lateral D-shaped ear-guards, perforated rim. Cf. Christie's sale 6th November 2002, item 11 for type. 677 grams, 38cm (15"). From a North West London collection; previously acquired in the 1980s. Accompanied by metallurgic analytical report number 110772/563, written by Metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Fine condition, some restoration.
3rd century BC-3rd century AD. A bronze helmet formed as a domed skull with carination to the rear, flared rim to the neck-guard; thickened brow with triangular peak above the nose; rectangular lateral recesses to accommodate cheek-guards, with perforations to the edges. Cf. Travis, H. & J. Roman Helmets, Stroud, 2014, fig.32 and discussion there. 877 grams, 25cm (9 3/4"). Property of a North West London gallery; formerly in a 1980s collection. Accompanied by metallurgic analytical report number 110771/565, written by Metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford. The helmet appears to have been made according to the Late Attic model, popular from the 4th century BC, with close-fitting skull, lateral cheek-plates and vestigial pointed nasal. The peripheral perforations correspond approximately to the attachment points for the cheek-guards on the upper edge, but their extension onto the everted neck-guard suggests that they may have been for attachment of an organic padded liner (subsequently lost"). [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Fine condition, some restoration.
12th-10th century BC. A bronze domed conical helmet with cotton-reel stud finial, two ancient rectangular repair panels with bronze fixings. 395 grams, 22cm diameter (8 3/4"). Property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection; acquired in Germany after WWII; thence by descent 2006. Accompanied metallurgic analytical report number 114371/570, written by Metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford. Fine condition, stabilised and restored.
3rd-4th century AD. A sheet bronze silvered face-plate from a cavalry sports helmet or other ceremonial use, with repoussé nose, mouth and eyes and incised detail to eyebrows, moustache and beard; pierced eyes, nostrils, mouth and earlobes. 99 grams, 17.5cm (7"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s. Masks such as this one were never intended for battle, but would have been used in cavalry parades and sporting mock battles. Parades or tournaments played an important part in maintaining unit morale and fighting effectiveness. They took place on a parade ground situated outside a fort and involved the cavalry practicing maneuvering and the handling of weapons such as javelins and spears. Parades would have taken place at several times in the year, especially at religious festivals and on days marking the birth, and accession to the throne, of the Emperor. Fine condition, chipped.
2nd century AD. A bronze face-mask fragment from a cavalry or sports helmet with moulded facial details, holes to the underside of the nose, openwork eyes with rings for the pupils, modelled top lip. See Travis, H. & J. Roman Helmets, Stroud, 2014, item 89 for similar (complete"). 80 grams, 13.5cm (5 1/4"). Property of a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. Fine condition.
6th-4th century BC. A bronze akenakes short sword with lentoid-section triangular blade, ribbed lower guard with spur to each shoulder, square-section grip with collar to the upper end, piriform pommel with recess to each broad face to accept an organic insert and ribbed outer faces. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, item 51 for type and discussion. 825 grams, 45cm (17 3/4"). From an important private collection; formerly from an old German collection; acquired before 1980. The weapon conforms to the overall style of the akenakes but has been produced in bronze rather than iron. An example made entirely of gold appears in Khorasani (item 49"). The ribbing on the outer faces of the pommel may be a traditional detail derived from the earlier 'ear pommel' type where pronounced ribbing is a feature of the rim of the pommel (e.g. Khorasani's item 46"). Fine condition, minor casting flaws to grip.
13th-6th century BC. A bronze sword with lentoid-section triangular blade, narrow guard, hilt with lateral ribs and vertical slot to each broad face to accept an organic insert, scaphoid pommel with rib to the upper face. See Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006 for discussion. 443 grams, 44.5cm (17 3/4"). From a UK collection; acquired in 1967. Fine condition.
10th-8th century BC. A bronze sword with lentoid-section leaf-shaped blade, guard with slots to the lower edge, tubular grip with cotton-reel pommel. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, fig.24. 610 grams, 50cm (19 3/4"). Property of a North London gentleman; previously in a private collection formed in the 1990s. Fine condition.
Circa 1000 BC. A two-edged slashing sword comprising: an iron lentoid-section blade with rounded tip and gently tapering edges; bronze hilt with integral guard and pommel, three tongues descending from the guard with interstitial crescents, slots and cells to accept inlays, grip with similar voids, triangular to the broad faces and slashes to the sides, T-shaped pommel with curved upper face and transverse rib, voids to accept inserts; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006. 2.8 kg including stand, 97cm (38"). Previously in the private collection of Mr R.; acquired by inheritance since the 1930s. Accompanied by metallurgic analytical report number 116030/572, written by Metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford. The sword is interesting in combining an iron blade with a standard form of Bronze Age hilt, marking an important development in military technology. The limitations of bronze casting technology meant that long blades could not be created without a thick cross-section which limited their usefulness. By using iron for the blade, a thinner and more robust sword was obtainable which would also hold its sharp edge longer than a softer bronze equivalent. It is believed that the Luristan sword-makers were pioneers of iron weapon manufacture and that their successes paved the way fore the widespread adoption of iron for weapons and tools with cutting edges. See Khorasani, 2006, p.61-65 for discussion. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Fine condition. A rare and spectacular display piece.
Early 3rd millennium BC. A mixed grave assemblage of the Corded Ware Culture comprising: a ceramic jar with narrow base, rounded body, scooped shoulder and short everted rim, bands of decoration formed by impressing a cord into the clay while wet; a knapped and polished flint leaf-shaped blade, lentoid in section with rounded butt; a boat-shaped polished granite(?) axehead with square butt and circular hole to accept a wooden haft; a smaller similar axehead with a finer polish, narrow blade; a spherical stone cobble. See Briard, J. The Bronze Age in Barbarian Europe, London, 1979 for general discussion; Pospieszny, L. et al. Remains of a late Neolithic barrow at Kruszyn. A glimpse of ritual and everyday life in early Corded Ware societies of the Polish Lowland in Praehistorische Zeitschrift, 90, 2015. 2.1 kg total, jar: 15cm (6"). Property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection; acquired in Germany after WWII; thence by descent 2006. Corded Ware Culture was prevalent in large areas of Europe from the Rhine to the Volga in the 3rd millennium BC, encompassing the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in these areas. Its heartland appears to have been the Central European Plain in the region of modern Germany and Poland, and is largely coterminous with the Single Grave Culture in which burial takes place in a crouched or foetal posture, beneath an earth mound. It is characterised by inclusion in graves of distinctive ceramic vessels decorated by impressing twisted cords into the wet clay. The presence of a flint blade and multiple stone shaft-hole axeheads is typical of the burial rite for northern Europe, and the inclusion of a single cobble (a naturally smoothed stone from a river) is also paralleled e.g. the burial mound at Kruszyn, Poland, excavated in 2009 (Pospieszny, 2015"). [5] Fine condition.
Early 3rd millennium BC. A squat ceramic vessel with narrow base, rounded body, scooped shoulder and broad mouth; the body decorated with impressed verticals panels of cord and the shoulder with horizontal similar panels and raised bands with impressed detailing, roundels to the nodes with concentric rings; applied cord detailing to the rim. See Briard, J. The Bronze Age in Barbarian Europe, London, 1979 for discussion. 896 grams, 18cm (7"). Property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection; acquired in Germany after WWII; thence by descent 2006. Corded Ware Culture was prevalent in large areas of Europe from the Rhine to the Volga in the 3rd millennium BC, encompassing the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in these areas. Its heartland appears to have been the Central European Plain in the region of modern Germany and Poland, and is largely coterminous with the Single Grave Culture in which burial takes place in a crouched or foetal posture, beneath an earth mound. It is characterised by inclusion in graves of distinctive ceramic vessels decorated by impressing twisted cords into the wet clay. Fine condition.
8th-5th century BC. A large pair of bronze central European spectacle brooches, each formed as a pair of spiral coils with figure-of-eight junction between and integral pin and catch to the rear. 315 grams total, 14.5-15 cm (5 3/4-6"). Property of an American collector; previously with a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. [2] Extremely fine condition with beautiful patination.
3rd-5th century AD. A bronze penannular pendant from the Kiev culture, with ribbed median bulb, discoid terminals each with a recessed swastika motif filled with red enamel. 38 grams, 67mm (2 3/4"). Property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection; acquired in Germany after WWII; thence by descent 2006. [No Reserve] Fine condition. Very rare.
2nd century BC-1st century AD. A bronze figurine of a naked warrior standing on a square base; the figure wearing only a helmet with rectangular crest and flared neck-guard; the face with prominent nose and chin, lentoid eyes, curved slit mouth; arms extended to the sides, knees slightly flexed; mounted on a custom-made stand. Cf. Pitts, L.F. M. Roman Bronze Figurines of the Catuvellauni and Trinovantes, BAR British Series 60, Oxford, 1979, item 67 for type. 230 grams, 14cm including stand (5 1/2"). Property of an English gentleman, acquired in 2013; formerly in the Embiricos collection, UK, formed in the 1950s-1960s and thence by descent. The figure resembles some Gallo-Roman and Romano-British representations of Hercules, normally shown with his club in one hand and a cloak draped over his left arm. The loss of both arms at the elbow makes firm identification impossible. Fine condition, lower arms absent.
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze bust of the god Cernunnos wearing a crested helmet, dressed in a tunic with long sleeves depending from the raised arms, the face with large almond-shaped eyes and small mouth; right hand extended at shoulder-height. See Ross, A. Pagan Celtic Britain, London, 1967, p.164 for discussion of Cernunnos. 144 grams, 72mm (3"). From an English private collection; formerly with Bonhams Antiquities, New Bond Street, London, 5 October 2011, lot 302; found Lincolnshire, UK, 2004; accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages. Cernunnos was the god of prosperity, crop growth and human and animal well-being and was worshipped throughout the Celtic world. This bronze was found in the territory of the Corieltauvi tribe. Fine condition; lower body absent. Extremely rare.
9th century AD. A substantial bronze equal-arm brooch comprising two trapezoidal arms each with raised Borre style geometric ornament, masks to the ends, central panel with openwork dome and flanking applied mouse figures; catch and pierced lug to the reverse; one arm pierced to accept a wire ring. Cf. Arbman, H. Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, pl.82, item 3a. 48 grams, 93mm (3 3/4"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. The Borre style was named after a set of bridle mounts from a ship burial at Borre, Norway. The Borre overlaps with the previous Oseberg and the later Jellinge styles, periods specific to the Viking Age. While the gripping beast remains, the sinuous creature of the Oseberg style now boasts a triangular head, a cat-like face with round eyes and protruding ears. This style appears to be purely Norse with no outside influences. The art style has also appeared in Iceland, Russia and England, which shows Viking art existed wherever they went. Borre style was prominent from the end of the ninth century to the middle of the tenth. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Very fine condition.
9th century AD. A bronze disc brooch with applied domed openwork facing plate showing a beast and vegetation; pin-lugs, pin, catch and securing loop to the reverse. Cf. Petersen, J. Vikingetidens Smykker, Stavanger, 1928, p.55, fig.119. 30.03 grams, 40mm (1 3/4"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. [No Reserve] Very fine condition. Professionally cleaned and conserved. Rare.
8th century AD. A matched pair of gilt bronze lozenge plate brooches, each a lozengiform plate with integral coiled catch and riveted pin; panels of geometric 'Greek key' pattern, pierced close to the angle. Cf. Hammond, B. British Artefacts vol.2 - Middle Saxon & Viking, Witham, 2010, item 1.1.6-c. 15 grams total, 54-67mm (2 1/4 - 2 3/4"). Property of a Grimsby gentleman since before 1988; probably found Lincolnshire, UK. [2] Fine condition. Rare, the first time we have seen a matched pair.
6th century AD. A gilt-bronze bell pendant comprising double-arched brow, conical eyes, scrolled lappets, nose with horizontal band, domed cheeks, scrolled moustache and pelta-shaped chin. Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, items 25.6, 25.9 for type. 18 grams, 46mm (1 3/4"). Found Lincolnshire, UK. Very fine condition, small chip to face. Rare.
9th-11th century AD. A bronze appliqué of a facing female mask with carefully modelled hair and braided frame, bow beneath the chin. 7.20 grams, 27mm (1"). Property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection; acquired in Germany after WWII; thence by descent 2006. Very fine condition. Rare.
10th-11th century AD. A bronze openwork mount in the form of an s-shaped beast decorated with panels of hatching interlaced with openwork tendrils, scrolled ends turning to form the frames for the attachment rivets; the design including hatched body panels of the earlier Jellinge style, with later mesh of tendrils and lentoid eye of the Ringerike Style. Cf. the enmeshed animal mount from Hertfordshire in Backhouse, J., Turner, D.H. and Webster, L. The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art: 966-1066, London, 1984, item 107. 19.50 grams, 61mm (2 1/2"). From an important American collection; acquired 1990s. The Jellinge style takes its name from the ornament on a silver cup found in the north mound of the Danish royal site at Jelling, Jutland, in the burial chamber thought to be that of King Gorm, dated 958/59 AD from wooden fragments in the same site. The small cup stands on a pedestal foot and is decorated only around its bowl with a pair of interlaced animals. These beasts are typical of the Jellinge style with ornament ribbons and heads shown in profile. The long pigtail and spiral hip joint are also characteristic of the Jellinge style animals. These animals are descendants of those of the Broa style, by way of Borre. It seems to have evolved during the ninth century and was in fashion for most of the tenth century. Very fine condition. Very rare, the pair to one sold by us in May 2017.
6th-7th century AD. A bronze rectangular plaque with openwork design of two serpents interlaced, each with billeted body and lentoid eyes, ropework border to the shorter sides; old collector's accession numbers to the underside '91.115' and '15871'. Cf. West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Finds From Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998, item 56(2) for type. 11 grams, 46mm (1 3/4"). Property of an English gentleman; formerly in a UK collection formed 1970s-1990s. Fine condition.
10th century AD. A bronze T-shaped strap junction reinforcing plate mount formed as a knot of three Ringerike style serpentine creatures with geometric detailing, studs to the reverse. 9.73 grams, 50m (2"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
6th century AD. A gilt-bronze belt buckle comprising: rectangular loop with ribbed face, curved tongue with violin-shaped shield and loop beneath, square plate with raised rim, concentric ribbing, central cell with inset garnet cloison; four pierced lugs to the reverse. 36 grams, 49mm (1 3/4"). From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s. Fine condition.
10th century AD. A bronze chape for a sword's scabbard, heater-shaped with lug to the point and scooped upper edges; to each broad face a low-relief design of a stylised animal with segmented body and limbs. Cf. Paulsen, P. Schwertortbänder der Wikingerzeit, Stuttgart, 1953, item 39 for type. 70 grams, 81mm (3 1/4"). From the family collection of a London gentleman; formed in the late 1940s-1950s; thence by descent. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Extremely fine condition.
10th-12th century AD. A bronze scaphoid openwork pendant depicting a standing horse with rider formed as a D-shaped facing mask with trailing legs and extended arms; notch detailing to the border. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, pl.LI, item 5; Arbman, H. Birka I: Die Graber, Uppsala, 1940, pl.92, items 7, 11. 25.76 grams, 75mm (3"). Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
Circa 1260-1300 AD. A substantial bronze weight for use with a steelyard balance with lead core, spherical in form with pierced flange for suspension above and hatched band to the shoulder; three heater shields with raised heraldic arms spaced equally around comprising: three lions passant gardant (royal arms of Kings Edward I to III of England 1272-1377 AD); a lion rampant (arms of Richard, or his son Edmund, Earls of Cornwall, 1209-1272 and 1249-1300 AD respectively); a spread eagle with two heads and trident tail (arms of the Hansa merchants of the Hanseatic League, 13th-17th century AD"). Cf. Saunders, Peter and Eleanor, Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum Medieval Catalogue, Part 1, SSWM, 1991, p.48, item 1, for an example displaying the same heraldry; cf. Ward Perkins, J. B., Medieval Catalogue, London Museum Catalogues 7, 1940, p.173, item A2487, pl.XXXVIII, 2, for another example. 1.5 kg, 72mm (3"). Found in a potato field in Suffolk, UK, in 1969; seen at Crathes Castle’s BBC Antiques Road Show. These heraldic steelyard weights were made under the official sanction of Richard (son of King Henry III) or Edmund, Dukes of Cornwall on behalf of the King; Edmund died in 1300 AD and such weights were banned in 1350 so that this example would most likely to be of the period 1260-1300 AD; the Hanseatic League was created in Germany to protect the interests and privileges of merchants in the medieval period, starting in Europe and with influence spreading to England from the 13th century. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Very fine condition. Extremely rare, especially in this exceptionally fine condition.
13th-14th century AD. A bronze heater-shield harness pendant with suspension lug, silvered field with chevron and three crosslets blazoned 'argent a chevron sable between three crosslets gules', arms often associated with branches of the Wycliffe family. See Ashley, S. Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology 101, Dereham, 2002 for discussion; see Medieval Ordinary 2,Society of Antiquaries, 1996, pp.322-323 for listings. 12 grams, 44mm (1 3/4"). Ex Stratford collection, Suffolk, UK; acquired on the UK art market after 2000. A famous, some would say notorious, member of the Wycliffe family was John (1320s-1384 AD); John was a cleric and theologian, educated at Oxford, who was behind the first translation of the Bible into English (the famed 'Wycliffe Bible'); some would consider him to be at the dawn of the Protestant movement and although already dead, he was condemned by the Church in around 1415. Fine condition.
13th-14th century AD. A bronze mount comprising a heater shield with three enamelled chevrons, three brackets each with a pierced lobe finial; blazoned 'or three chevrons gules', arms of the Clare family. See Ashley, S. Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology 101, Dereham, 2002, p.42 for discussion. 24 grams, 52mm (2"). Found near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, UK. Fine condition. Rare.
15th century AD. A cast bronze rectangular die with deeply incuse engraved designs set in six panels, the centre depicting a standing heraldic boar facing to the left as viewed, surrounded by floral sprays and rose blooms with a series of waves below, set within a rectangular border having indented lower corners; in addition with a narrow rectangular panel above enclosing a long floral spray running left to right as viewed, curved spandrels at lower corners with further floral sprays and thin upright panels at the sides, again depicting floral sprays; the edges lined out and the panel borders of pellets set between parallel lines; the reverse of the piece with earlier Black Letter lowercase incuse and reversed inscription reading 'peines' for paines/punishment?. See Cherry, John, Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547, V&A, 2003; Planché, J. R., On the Badges of the House of York, JBAA 20, 1864; Steane, John, The Archaeology of the Medieval English Monarchy, Routledge, 1999, for discussion and examples of the white boar emblem of Richard III. 86.43 grams, 83x42mm (3 1/4 x 1 3/4"). Property of an Oxfordshire collector; acquired on the UK art market in 2014; previously in a Cambridgeshire collection. The heraldic white boar was the personal badge of Richard III of England (1452-1485 AD) before his death in battle at Bosworth Field when defeated by Henry Tudor (soon to be Henry VII) and a number of examples of retainer badges and other items bearing this emblem are well attested, including seen as a pendant jewel on the collar of the tomb effigy of Sir Ralph Fitzherbert (died 1483 and a supporter of Richard III); the boar's head was also used by Richard III as a privy or mint mark on his gold and silver coins. This die is of complex design and displays a very good standard of workmanship, typically as seen done by skilled seal-cutters. The purpose for the piece must remain speculative but it seems likely that this die would have been used to make finely detailed appliques in gold for affixing as ornament, perhaps to bindings of books or similar for royal use or distribution; the form of the main panel within the design, resembling overall a 'hammerhead' or 'sword pommel' shape surrounding the boar, suggests that such appliques would have been intended to be used in multiples, as part of a repeated motif, possibly in conjunction with other elements. The reverse inscription, being enigmatic, may not be complete and could have deliberately been left incomplete or have been a trial intended for another purpose; fine metal was expensive and an engraver would not have wasted a good surface. Very fine condition. Extremely rare.
12th-13th century AD. A hollow-formed bronze aquamanile formed as a lion with hindlegs bent, tail curled to the rump, splayed claws' trumpet-shaped socket to the back, spout in the lion's mouth. 1.9kg, 23cm (9"). On the London art market since 2011; formerly in a private collection, 1970s. Fine condition, some small casting flaws.
7th-9th century AD. A bronze censer, or thurible, with suspension ring and four claw attachment with chain running to the body; lid with cross at the top and pierced on body with crosses and holes; main body has pierced crosses, riveted attachment loops and globular body with rounded bottom, removable internal tray with central handle. 757 grams, 44cm (17 1/4"). Property of a UK gentleman; formerly in a German collection; previously acquired 1980s. Fine condition.
2nd-1st century BC. A hollow-formed bronze figure of a bull with legs folded beneath the body, mouth open, vent to the rump. 193 grams, 89mm (3 1/2"). With a Mayfair gallery since 1986; with; previously with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Archéologie, Paris, 2 February 2017, lot 248 (5,000-6,000 euros); accompanied by copies of the relevant Pierre Bergé catalogue pages. Very fine condition.
6th-5th century BC. A bronze figurine of a nude male kouros standing with head turned; the hair falling to the shoulders in three strands, with a braided band to the brow; right hand extended, flat to support a patera, left hand at the side gripping a rod or handle; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Troili, E. et al. Treasures From Tuscany - The Etruscan Legacy, Edinburgh, 2004 for discussion. 355 grams, 17.5cm (6 3/4"). Property of a Hertfordshire gentleman; part of his collection formed between 1973-2014. Very fine condition.
A collection of miscellaneous items including a set of six early 20th Century cocktail sticks, in a leather case, together with a 1910 bronze medal for the Junior Imperial Challenge Shield rifle competition in an Elkington & Co. box; a 1977 silver crown, commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in original case; and a quantity of cigarette cards and other items
A 19th Century bronze and parcel-gilt figure of a maenad or bacchante, holding a cup and bunch of grapes, upon a marble base, 22.5 cm high, together with a 1922 Frankart cast metal and green painted Art Deco figure of a nude young woman with one leg raised and arms outstretched, marks to the base, 24.8 cm high (2)
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