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Lot 220
2nd century AD. A bronze brooch of a stylised bird in flight with ring-and-dot detailing, pin with spring and catchplate to the reverse. Cf. Hattatt, R. Brooches of Antiquity, Oxford, 1987, item 1150. 5.66 grams, 38mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London, UK collector; acquired London market, 1990s. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1148
9th-13th century AD. A group of mixed bronze items comprising: two belt mounts in the form of animal heads, attachment lug to the back; a belt mount in the form of a knotted cross; a dome-shaped stud with knotted pattern and central stud; a penannular brooch with circles to the body and domed ends, animal head to the top of pin; a knotted cross pendant; a gilt mount with squat pyramidal shape, each face with row of three dots and top inlaid with glass; a belt hook with large suspension ring, stylised face to the body and curving hook below; a bronze plaque with pelletted border, central trefoil motif and rivets to the back; a D-shaped strap end with interlaced plant motif, two rivet holes to the corners. 60 grams total, 10-45mm (1/4 - 1 3/4"). Property of a European collector; acquired before 2000. [10, No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1832
19th century AD. A gilt bronze desk seal (and pipe tamper?) in the form of a right hand with fingers extended holding a smoking pipe, with broad cuff and balustered arm; waffle-iron pattern to the underside. 34 grams, 65mm (2 3/4"). Ex Morningthorpe Manor, Norfolk; acquired Phillips sale D1694, lot 342 (part); property of Byran Hall of Banningham Old Rectory; formerly property of Rev. William C. Hall. [No Reserve]. Extremely fine condition.
Lot 60
1st century AD. A bronze figurine of Cupid (Eros) standing nude on the right foot, left leg extended to the rear, wings to the back, left hand hollow to accept a bow and arm extended, right arm bent; cotton-reel base hollow to the underside. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 112. 225 grams, 12cm (4 3/4"). From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. The base that this figure of Cupid stands on identifies it as a statuette to be housed in a lararium, or household shrine. The majority of homes, shops and businesses had a shrine dedicated to the deities that were favoured by the owner. These could be either painted onto walls, set into a niche or be free standing shrines made of wood or stone and resembling small temples. They are usually found near the entrance to a building so as to allow someone entering to offer their prayers. A range of deities could be housed in the lararium, from the Classical gods of Olympus, to the more exotic gods of the eastern mystery cults, such as Isis and Cybele, to portraits of deceased ancestors. . Very fine condition; repaired.
Lot 1285
Early Warring States Period, 5th-4th century BC. A bronze lid or handle of a crouching animal with open mouth, single ear or horn, elongated body and curving tail; entire surface engraved with scrolling decoration, possibly later, with geometric patterns and stylised phoenix; hollow to the underside. Cf. So, J. and Bunker, E. Traders and Raiders: China's Northern Frontier, Washington, 1995, p. 174, no. 101. 281 grams, 16cm (6 1/4"). Property of a London collector; by inheritance from his grandfather; acquired during travels in the Far East in the 1920s. [No Reserve]. Very fine condition.
Lot 2324
Neo-Babylonian Empire, 626-539 BC. A shallow bronze bowl with chamfered rim, concentric bands of pointillé decoration including palmettes and advancing gryphons around a central rosette. 218 grams, 13.5cm (5 1/4"). From an important private London collection; formed in the 1970s and 1980s. . Fine condition, surface accretion.
Lot 57
1st century BC-1st century AD. A bronze statuette of Venus (Aphrodite) standing holding her loosely draped garment at her hips; her hair elaborately dressed with ringlets to the shoulders, her left hand holding the folded hem of her clothing. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 76 for type. 305 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired in the 1980s. 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. She was also considered to be a mother goddess who protected her devotees under the name of Venus Genetrix. She was the mother of Aeneas, from whom Julius Caesar claimed descent, and was thus the progenitor of the whole Julio-Claudian dynasty. . Very fine condition, one hand and foot absent.
Lot 2321
13th-6th century BC. A hollow-cast bronze tapering socket with folded leg detail to the underside, slender curved neck, triangular head with pellet eyes and recurved horns; socket pierced for attachment. Cf. Godard, F. The Art of Iran, London, 1965, figs. 93, 94. 82 grams, 11.5cm (4 1/2"). From the collection of a North West London gentleman; acquired in the 1980s. . Fine condition.
Lot 1313
6th-2nd century BC. A bronze openwork buckle plate in the form of a grazing deer, head held down; small figure of a stag standing on the back with large antlers extending back over the body. 53 grams, 69mm (2 3/4"). Property of a London collector; by inheritance from his grandfather; acquired during travels in the Far East in the 1920s. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 232
2nd century AD. A bronze plate brooch formed as four profile horse-heads radiating from a central ring-and-dot, each with ring-and-dot eye and notched mouth, pointed ears; hinged pin and catchplate to the reverse. See Heynowski, R. Bestimmungsbuch Archaeologie: Fibeln, Munich, 2012, item 3.26.14 for type, 9.33 grams, 35mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1995. . Fine condition.
Lot 2318
5th-3rd century BC. A bronze square pedestal with tapering sides, the front decorated with a projecting bull's head with fan tailed headdress above. 2 kg, 10 x 16 x 13cm (3 3/4 x 6 x 5 3/4"). Property of a gentleman; from a Mayfair, London, UK, gallery. The piece was possibly used as a small altar within a temple for the burning of incense, or offerings being placed on it. The bull was a significant animal in South Arabian religion and was associated with the moon god Hubal. . Very fine condition, restored.
Lot 1314
19th century AD. A rectangular bronze chop seal with open sides, model of a scholar seated cross-legged on the back of a baby elephant with partly-unrolled scroll on his lap; six characters to the underside. 250 grams, 89mm (3 3/4"). Property of a North London gentleman; formerly with a Mayfair gallery in the 1980s. . Fine condition.
Lot 77
3rd-4th century AD. A life size bronze left hand with the forefinger and thumb slightly extended, the other fingers bent around a mappa, or ceremonial cloth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 723 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Property of a European gentleman living in London; acquired in the UK before 1980. The Mappa was originally the white napkin dropped by an emperor or magistrate as a starting signal at the Circus. In late Roman iconography it came to be a used as one of the principal attributes of the consuls. . Fine condition.
Lot 1583
Late Qing Dynasty, 19th century AD. A matched pair of bronze stirrups, each a discoid tray with raised rim, arched arms with suspension slot flanked by addorsed dragon heads; rosettes and singletons of inset carnelian, agate and other cabochons. 3.5 kg total, 17cm (6 3/4"). From the Cheuk family collection; formed before 1970. [2]. Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 293
1st-2nd century AD. A convex bronze discoid mount of tiered profile with triangular-section muzzle, pellet eyes on scaphoid panels, similar mouth, radiating lines to the mane, stud to the reverse; mounted on a custom-made stand. 85 grams, 62 mm including stand (2 1/2"). From a Cambridgeshire collection; acquired in the 1970s. [No Reserve]. Very fine condition, cleaned and conserved.
Lot 1742
14th century AD. A slightly convex bronze quatrefoil pendant with pierced suspension lug, central panel with blue enamel and reserved lion passant, red enamel lobes with reserved fleur-de-lys. Cf. Ashley, S. Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology 101, Dereham, 2002, item 210. 14 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). Private collection, Cambridgeshire, UK; acquired prior to 2000; found East Anglia, UK. . Fine condition.
Lot 244
1st-4th century AD. A mixed group of bronze bow brooches comprising: a crossbow type with acorn knops; a crossbow type with two polyhedral and one acorn knop; a Hod Hill type with side lugs, tinned headplate; a knee brooch variant with cruciform headplate, enamelled pellets. Cf. Hattatt, R. Brooches of Antiquity, Oxford, 1987, item 852, 1231, 1265; Hattatt, R. Iron Age and Roman Brooches, Oxford, 1985, item 505. 108 grams total, 45-76mm (1 - 3"). Private collection, North London; acquired in the early 1990s. [4]. Fine condition.
Lot 301
1st-3rd century AD. A bronze strigil with curved C-section rounded blade, narrow lower handle developing to a lozengiform plaque and long suspension hook. See Roach Smith, C. The Antiquities of Richborough, Reculver and Lymne in Kent, London, 1850, p.203-4 for discussion of the type. 59 grams, 24.5cm (9 3/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired by his grandfather in the 1920s; thence by descent. . Fair condition.
Lot 289
1st-2nd century AD. A mixed group of bronze horse figurines comprising: one on a pedestal base with one foreleg raised; one similar with plain base, hole to upper face; one similar with foreleg and base absent. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, items 245, 246. 135 grams total, 42-54mm (1 3/4 - 2 1/4"). From a German collection; acquired on the German art market before 1990. [3, No Reserve]. Fine condition; one repaired.
Lot 235
2nd-3rd century AD. A bronze discoid plate brooch with openwork stem and tendrils motif; hinged pin and catch to the reverse. Cf. Hattatt, R. Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts, Oxford, 1989, item 1622. 8.73 grams, 31mm (1 1/4"). From an important London collection, acquired in the 1990s. . Very fine condition.
Lot 64
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze figurine of Fortuna standing on a pedestal base wearing a loose chiton and draped with a himation; elaborate four-sided headdress with a spur to each angle; a cornucopia supported on her left arm, with fruit to the upper end. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 144. 65 grams, 75mm (3"). From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. Also known as Tyche in the Greek world, she is first mentioned in the Homeric hymn to Demeter and also appears in Hesiod's Theogony as a daughter of Oceanus. she is known as a saviour goddess but primarily she was the goddess of chance and fortune, who steered the course of human lives, hence the depiction of the rudder that sometimes accompanies her. The overflowing cornucopia alludes to the bounty of good luck that the goddess could provide and her image is one of the most popular to be found in household shrines from the Roman Empire. . Very fine condition; right hand absent, modern repair to base and figure partly detached.
Lot 569
3rd century BC-3rd century AD. A matched pair of gilt-bronze earrings, each a conical bulb with bands of granule detailing, piriform cells with inset garnet cabochons. 9.50 grams total, 36mm (1 1/2"). From the collection of a North West London gentleman; acquired in the 1980s. [2, No Reserve]. Fair condition.
Lot 1067
8th-9th century AD. A hoard of Viking Age silver treasure comprising: a barrel-shaped bronze vessel with everted rim, separate base with fixing panels and rivets, hole to the rim; a square-section torc with twisted shank and scrolled terminals; two lozenge-section silver bars in coils; two halves of a hollow silver polyhedral bracelet (?) finial; two silver bracelets, each a round-section rod with expanded hollow terminals; eleven rectangular-section bars of hack-silver; nine D-section ingots of hack-silver; two silver arm-rings with clubbed finials; two bracelet fragments with trial hack-marks prior to final cutting; a crescentic bracelet with twisted shank; twelve cut-halves of Arabic dirham coins of 8th-9th century date; an abraded silver Arabic coin; a flat-section plaque fragment. See discussion in Hårdh, B. Silver in the Viking Age. A Regional-Economic Study, Acta Archaeologica Lundensia, no.25, Stockholm, 1996. 1.5 kg total, silver: 925 grams, vessel: 20cm (1/2 - 7 3/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. [47]. Fine condition.
Lot 239
2nd century AD. A group of two bronze plate brooches comprising: one a vesica-shaped central panel with enamel fill flanked by scooped enamel cells and annular finials with radiating knops, pin-lug and catch to the reverse; one a trophaeum with flanking dolphins on a baseline, pin and catch to the reverse. Cf. Hattatt, R. Brooches of Antiquity, Oxford, 1987, item 1434. 13 grams total, 30-42mm (1 1/4 - 1 3/4"). Property of an Essex collector; acquired on the European art market. [2]. Fine condition.
Lot 506
14th-15th century AD. A flat-section square bronze trade weight with incised image to one face of a cross within a wreath with rosettes to the upper corners flanked by '?. S'. Cf. Bendall, S. Byzantine Weights: An Introduction, London, 1996 items 57, 58. 155 grams, 44mm (1 3/4"). From a German collection; acquired on the German art market before 1990. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 355
1st-3rd century AD. A mixed bronze group comprising: a piriform seal box with concentric enamelled cells to the lid, three holes to the underside; a seal box lid with low-relief image of Isis(?"). 7.28 grams, 23-31mm (1 - 1 1/4"). Property of a European collector; acquired 1980s-1990s. [2, No Reserve]. Fair condition.
Lot 947
5th-6th century AD. A gilt bronze saucer brooch with broad flared rim and chip-carved decoration on the gilded face decorated with five running spirals. 5 grams, 27mm (1"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in a private East Anglian collection, UK; 2005, accompanied by an original museum services description ticket; found East Anglia, UK. . Fine condition.
Lot 1558
2nd millennium BC. A substantial bronze sword with triangular blade and integral hilt; the blade with median rib and lateral incised grooves to each face, the guard crescentic and D-section to the shoulder; the grip square-section, slightly flared with cells for inset organic panels; the pommel discoid with lower plate and carinated cap, organic component absent. 747 grams, 54.5cm (21 1/2"). Property of a Yorkshire, UK, collector; acquired in the 1990s; thence by descent. . Fine condition.
Lot 902
1st century AD. A slender bronze figure with pellet eyes, raised helmet or hair, raised right arm with hollow hand, ribbed lower legs indicating footwear, flared hips indicating the saddle. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 457 for a more elaborate example of the type. 15 grams, 47mm (2"). Private collection, UK; formed in the 1980s. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 2411
13th-6th century BC. A mixed group of bronze items comprising: a squat spherical incense burner with flared basal ring, band of holes to the shoulder; a tubular kohl pot with flared base, balustered body; a conical kohl pot with spiral beaded detail to the body, flared rim. 401 grams, 54-88mm (2 1/4 - 3 1/2"). Property of a retired English University Professor. [3]. Fine condition, both kohl pots scuffed.
Lot 1044
8th-10th century AD. A bronze openwork handle formed as a pair of opposed regardant geese(?) on a baseline flanking a standing stem and loop, iron shoe inset to the lower edge. Cf. Arbman, H. Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, table 144, item 2. 63 grams, 62mm (2 1/2"). Property of an American collector; acquired 1980-2000. . Fine condition.
Lot 1594
2nd millennium BC. A broad leaf-shaped blade with rounded shoulder and short tang, low midrib with fuller and curved ends extending to the shoulders. See Branigan, K. Aegean Metalwork of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Oxford, 1974, p.8-21 for discussion. 425 grams, 37cm (14 1/2"). Ex Cologne private collection. . Fine condition.
Lot 247
2nd-3rd century AD. A bronze P-shaped bow brooch with returned foot forming the catch, with spring and pin to the reverse; polyhedral stud above the headplate, ribbed bow beneath two rows of ring-and-dot motifs and two facing masks. Cf. Hattatt, R. Iron Age and Roman Brooches, Oxford, 1985, item 488. 20 grams, 67mm (2 3/4"). Property of a London, UK collector; acquired London market, 1990s. [No Reserve]. Very fine condition.
Lot 779
Early 1st millennium BC. A heavy penannular gold round-section hoop with butted ends. Cf. Clarke, D.V, Cowie, T.G, and Foxon, A. Symbols of Power at the Time of Stonehenge, Edinburgh, 1985, for a discussion on Bronze Age gold objects. 6.14 grams, 16mm (3/4"). Property of a Suffolk lady; acquired on the UK art market. Before the introduction of struck coinage into ancient Europe, copper and gold rings were used as currency and were often worn on clothing or tied together by ropes. The process of bartering may have facilitated the introduction of ring money. Another theory is that they are clothes fasteners with examples being found in the Beaker Period burial mounds in the Wessex area of South Britain. . Very fine condition.
Lot 2310
2nd millennium BC. A bronze figure of a standing female (?) wearing a small cap, face with hooked nose and small eyes; long neck to wide chest and long tapering body with small feet and projecting tang; arms held up and each hand holding a round object, possibly a mirror. 45 grams, 13cm (5"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired in the late 1970s and 1980s. . Fine condition.
Lot 1029
3rd-5th century AD. A bronze mount in a form of a standing male and a female couple, each with a right hand holding a stretched left hand touching each other's genitals, a female figure decorated with incised belt decoration; lower part of male legs missing. See Oldtidens Ansigt, Det kongelige Nordiske Oldskiftselska og Jysk Arkaeologisk Selskab, 1990, p.134, 138, for the gesture and design. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. 6.07 grams, 42mm (1 3/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. A parallel to the style and pose of this 'couple' can be seen on several small bronzes inspired by Roman statuettes representing gods. However, similar bronze statues were already known in Scandinavia since the Bronze Age and were most likely of a ritual significance. The specific crossed hand on a chest is a puzzling symbol, possibly symbolising a gesture of a specific god, ritual act or blessing. Some facial similarities can be seen on the Broddenbjerg man, a wooden statue with a strong phallic symbolism, most likely pointing to fertility. Another similarity can be observed on rock art in Scandinavia, especially the long neck features and the image of a 'divine couple', a strong motif found extensively in the late Iron Age on many golden sheets, known as guldgubbers. Several scholars argue that this image represents the marriage of god Frey and giantess Gerd; however it may also represent a union of Frey with his sister Freyja. From later sources, it is known that the Vanir, an ancient race of gods, had a custom to marry or have intercourse with their siblings. Njord, the father of Frey and Freya was from this tribe, and sources suggest that they were conceived with his sister-wife. She might have been the mysterious Suebi goddess Nerthus, which Roman historian Tacitus wrote about in Germania. Her statue was kept in a sacred grove on an unknown island, drawn in a holy cart and only priests could touch her. Everywhere the goddess came she was met with celebration of peace and hospitality. After she returned to the temple, everything was washed by slaves, who were drowned short after. Her connection with fertility, peace, and water, definitely points to the Vanir race; and she shares several similarities with the later worshipping of Frey. This mount probably represents either Njord and Nerthus, or Frey and Freya, and may had been used as a votive offering or worn as an amulet to invoke the fertile powers of those gods. [No Reserve]. Fine condition. Excessively rare.
Lot 1596
13th-6th century BC. A bronze flange-hilted dagger with slender leaf-shaped two-edged blade, hollow grip with socket to each face to accept an insert and lateral flanges to retain it. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran - The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.381, Cat.13. 91 grams, 31.7cm (12 1/2"). From an old English collection; acquired on the UK art market before 1970. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1208
8th-10th century AD. A large bronze reliquary cross pendant formed from two hinged plates with a recess to the inner face of each, cast suspension loop to the upper hinge; one face with ring-and-dot motifs and radiating lines forming a Maltese cross; the reverse with central ring-and-dot on a ropework field. See Khanenko, B. Antiquités Russes Croix et Images, Kiev, 1899 for discussion of types. 147 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). Property of an Essex, UK collector; acquired London art market, 1960s-1980s. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 343
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze oil lamp with flared base, hemispherical bowl with projecting fluked nozzle, raised rim to the shoulder and upper face of the nozzle with pierced lug, curved bar handle with horse-head finial and pierced lug above the ears. Cf. Bailey, D.M. A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum. IV. Lamps of Metal and Stone and Lampstands, London, 1988, item 3667 for similar. 152 grams, 86mm (3 1/2"). Property of an Essex, UK collector; acquired London art market, 1960s-1980s. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1734
14th-15th century AD. A flat-section bronze hoop, applied bezel of two clasped hands. See Oman, C.C. Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Rings, reprinted Ipswich, 1993 p.21 for discussion. 1.75 grams, 21mm overall, 15.25x18.39mm internal diameter (approximate size British I, USA 4 1/4, Europe 7.44, Japan 7) (3/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. [No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1217
11th-18th century AD. A group of bronze items comprising: a triangular mount with pelleted border and cross to the centre, a cross pendant with Corpus Christi and additional loops on each arm, a cross pendant with a pair of pellets on each end, a reliquary pendant plate with hinged suspension loop. 32 grams total, 33-59mm (1 1/4 - 2 1/4"). From a Surrey, UK, collection; formed before 2000. [4, No Reserve]. Fair condition.
Lot 865
2nd millennium BC. A bronze shield boss with punched dot rim and peaked centre, rivet holes to the sides; a phalera with flat, disc-shaped body with groove and central boss, hook on the back. 33 grams, 50-55mm (2 - 2 1/4"). From a private European collection; formed in the 1980s. [2]. Fine condition.
Lot 251
1st-2nd century AD. A D-section bronze pendant comprising a loop with male genitals, arm with fist to the left, phallus to the right. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 433. 16 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). From an important London collection, acquired in the 1990s. . Fine condition.
Lot 1627
5th-3rd century BC. A mixed group of bronze socketed arrowheads comprising: fifteen triangular in section; eight similar with spur to the socket; three lentoid in section with spur to the socket. 87 grams total, 25-35mm (1 - 1 1/2"). Property of a North West London gentleman; formerly with a central London gallery in 1990. [26, No Reserve]. Fair condition.
Lot 481
8th-10th century AD. A mixed group comprising: a bronze finger ring with round-section shank, discoid swivelling bifacial bezel with monogram to one face, cross with alpha and omega to the other; bezel plaque with Greek text 'OK?/TOIKO/[...]' and cross. 16 grams total, 14-25mm (1/2 - 1"). Property of an Essex, UK collector; acquired London art market, 1960s-1980s. [2, No Reserve]. Fine condition.
Lot 1031
3rd-5th century AD. A bronze mount of a standing male and a female couple, each with one hand extending across the body touching each other's genitals. For the gesture and design see Oldtidens Ansigt, Det kongelige Nordiske Oldskiftselska og Jysk Arkaeologist Selskab, 1990, p.134, 138. 3.34 grams, 32mm (1 1/4"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. A parallel to the style and pose of this 'couple' can be seen on several small bronzes inspired by Roman statuettes representing gods. However, similar bronze statues were already known in Scandinavia since the Bronze Age and were most likely of a ritual significance. The specific crossed hand on a chest is a puzzling symbol, possibly symbolising a gesture of a specific god, ritual act or blessing. Another similarity can be observed on rock art in Scandinavia, especially the image of a 'divine couple', a strong motif known from the late Iron Age depicted on many golden sheets called guldgubbers. Several scholars argue that this image represents the marriage of god Frey and giantess Gerd; however, it may also represent a union of Frey with his sister Freyja. From later sources, it is known that the Vanir, an ancient race of gods, had a custom to marry or have intercourse with their siblings. Njord, the father of Frey and Freya, was from this tribe, and sources suggest that they were conceived with his sister-wife. She might have been the mysterious Suebi goddess Nerthus, which Roman historian Tacitus wrote about in Germania. Her statue was kept in a sacred grove on an unknown island, drawn in a holy cart and only priests could touch her. Everywhere the goddess came she was met with celebration of peace and hospitality. After she returned to the temple, everything was washed by slaves, who were drowned short after. Her connection with fertility, peace, and water, definitely points to the Vanir race; and she shares several similarities with the later worshipping of Frey. This mount probably represents either Njord and Nerthus, or Frey and Freya, and may had been used as a votive offering or worn as an amulet to invoke the fertile powers of those gods. [No Reserve]. Very fine condition. Very rare.
Lot 1629
12th century AD. A gilt-bronze fastener plate comprising two roundels with addorsed openwork winged beasts passant gardant, median plaque with slot and lateral rails. 9.99 grams, 55mm (2 1/4"). Property of a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. . Fair condition.
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