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Lot 1829
3rd-5th century AD. A bronze mount of a standing male and a female couple, each with the right hand holding the stretched left hand, each touching the other's genitals; the female figure decorated with incised belt decoration; lower part of the male's legs missing. 3.79 grams, 31mm (1 1/4"). Property of a West Midlands, UK, collector; acquired on the UK art market 1990s. See Oldtidens Ansigt, Det kongelige Nordiske Oldskiftselska og Jysk Arkaeologisk Selskab, 1990, p.134, 138, for the gesture and design. 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 in the Bronze Age and were most likely of a ritual significance. The specific crossed hands on the 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 Freyr and giantess Gerd; however it may also represent a union of Freyr 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 Freyr 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 Freyr and Freya, and may had been used as a votive offering or worn as an amulet to invoke the fertile powers of those gods. Fine condition.
Lot 1559
1st millennium BC. A miniature bronze axehead with square socket ribbed to each face, triangular blade with spur to the upper edge; old collector's label '274' to one face. 70 grams, 74mm (3"). Property of a North London gentleman; formerly with a Mayfair gallery in the 1980s. Fine condition, corner chipped.
Lot 1586
5th-3rd century BC. A mixed group of bronze arrowheads comprising: six triangular in section, spur to the socket; two leaf-shaped, spur to the socket; one triangular in section, socketed. 44 grams total, 23-40mm (1 - 1 3/4"). Property of a private collector; acquired before 1975. Fine condition. [9]
Lot 1678
14th-15th century AD. A bronze discoid bifacial pendant with suspension loop; to each face, four lozenge panels of white check ornament and a blue on to the centre, looped tendrils and red enamel petals. 10 grams, 29mm (1 1/4"). Property of a Middlesex gentleman; acquired in the 1980s. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1908
8th-12th century AD. A group of bronze belt fittings consisting of a buckle, three belt stiffeners, eleven bosses; traces of leather backing. 40 grams, 14-54mm (1/2 - 2 1/4"). Property of a professional gentleman, acquired 2011; formerly in a Russian private collection formed before 1950. Fine condition. [15, No Reserve]
Lot 2275
5th-3th century BC. A group of bronze items comprising: an S-shaped mount with dragon heads; a square pendant with a wolf (?"). head and attachment loop; a bronze mount with a raised bearded face and incised geometric decoration. 29 grams total, 24-53mm (3/4 - 2 1/4"). From an old German collection; acquired before 1990. Fine condition. [3]
Lot 490
11th century AD. A bronze Anglo-Saxon or Viking disc brooch with radiating knops to the side; central area with enamel inlay forming a stemmed cup; remains of pin and catch plate to the rear. 5.05 grams, 24mm (1"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; acquired at auction in 2008. Cf. Hammond, B. British Artefacts vol.3 - Late Saxon, Late Viking & Norman, Witham, 2013, item 1.1.1.-l. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1507
2nd millennium BC. A bronze axehead with ovoid socket and ribbed tongue-shaped blade, two elliptical piercings to each face extending to the socket. 285 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). From a West Sussex collection formed before 1980. See discussion in Godard, F. The Art of Iran, London, 1965, p.76-82. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 419
2nd millennium BC. A pair of bronze pins consisting of one with looped top and curved body; another with rosette, hook behind and angled neck to body. 18.63 grams total, 95mm (3 3/4"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in the Brian Riley collection, Yorkshire, UK, 2007. Fine condition. [2, No Reserve]
Lot 924
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze brooch in the form of a bird with arched neck, fan tail and lozenge shaped panel on the back with red, yellow, orange and blue enamel sections, lobes to the side; pin and catchplate to the underside. 9.74 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; acquired at auction in 2008. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 618
12th century AD. A hollow-cast bronze vessel formed as a crested bird standing on a square base with feather detail to wings and tail; tubular nozzle to the back with everted rim. 164 grams, 88mm (3 1/2"). Private collection, London, UK; formerly with Persepolis Gallery, Mayfair, London, UK; in the 1980s. Fine condition.
Lot 1692
13th-15th century AD. A cast gilt-bronze horse hareness pendant with pierced lug suspension loop above, bird with extended feet and tail, feather detailing. 6.72 grams, 26mm (1"). Found Lincolnshire, UK. Hammond, B. Benet's Medieval Artefacts of England & The United Kingdom, Witham, 2015, p.224, item HP-26422. Fine condition. A rare type.
Lot 706
1st century AD. A bronze statuette of the god Mercury (Hermes"). standing nude with a cloak over his left shoulder, coin purse in his right hand, left hand open to hold the caduceus to his shoulder, petasos to his head and winged sandals to his feet; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 159 grams, 12 cm including stand (4 3/4"). Very fine condition. Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in the Ivan Morvisaa collection.
Lot 267
3rd-5th century AD. A Kiev culture bronze openwork brooch with iron pin to the coiled band, the body formed with geometric panels of red enamel and white enamelled discs, red enamelled triangles with yellow undulating band. 68 grams, 12.5cm (5"). Very fine condition. Property of a German gentleman; acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. The Kiev archaeological culture was located in the basin of the rivers Dnieper and Visla between the 3rd and 5th centuries; archaeologists connect this culture with the historical ancestors of the Slavs. However, there are suggestions that in different regions of the Kiev culture the ethnogenetic processes were not the same. In some cases, the Slavic component prevailed, whilst Baltic and others were dominant elsewhere.
Lot 1879
8th-9th century AD. A round-section bronze penannular torc tapering to the rear with faux twist decoration; the terminals both formed as cross-shaped bars. 298 grams, 17.5cm (7"). Property of a Cheltenham collector. Cf. Sedov, V.V. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhy Srednevekoviya, Moscow, 1987, plate CV., item 12. Fine condition.
Lot 394
Later 2nd millennium BC. A very large bronze axehead with flared end, curved edge; the socket with thick collar to the mouth and loop joining to one side of the collar; small lateral hole to each casting seam; panels of raised chevron ornament to both flat faces. 447 grams, 13.5cm (5 1/4"). Property of a private collector; acquired before 1975. Cf. Evans, J. The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, item 148. Extremely fine condition, loop missing.
Lot 1216
8th-11th century AD. A mixed bronze group comprising: a flat-section expanding-arm cross with a lobe to each angle, loop broken and upper arm pierced for suspension; an enkolpion plate with incised image of Mary Theotokos flanked by nimbate busts; two small cruciform pendants with arms formed as cones; a flat-section cross with ring-and-dot detailing to both faces; a cross with arms formed as teardrop-shaped plates. 80 grams total, 27-87mm (1 - 3 1/2"). From a West Sussex collection formed before 1980. See Khanenko, B. Antiquités Russes Croix et Images, Kiev, 1899 for discussion. Fine condition. [5, No Reserve]
Lot 906
1st-3rd century AD. A bronze figure of a standing eagle, head turned to the right, wings folded over the back; detailing of the feathers. 31 grams, 28mm (1 1/4"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; acquired from Wakefield Coin Fair, West Yorkshire, UK, 2008; found Castleford, near Wakefield, UK. Fine condition.
Lot 2198
13th-6th century BC. A bronze figure of a standing female(?"). in knee-length robe, left hand placed flat on the breast and right hand extended at shoulder level; peg beneath the feet. 48 grams, 90mm (3 1/2"). Private collection, London, UK; formerly with Persepolis Gallery, Mayfair, London, UK; in the 1980s. Fine condition.
Lot 1699
13th-14th century AD. A mixed bronze group comprising: a heater-shaped plaque with mounting spike to the reverse, three lions passant gardant reserved on a field for champ-levé enamel; a quatrefoil pendant with interstitial knops, central rectangle with radiating fleurs-de-lys on a blue enamel field, central lion reserved on a red enamel field; a trefoil pendant with floral motif, traces of red enamel fill. 39 grams total, 33-36mm (1 1/4 - 1 1/2"). Found Ripple, Kent, UK. The quatrefoil pendant recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number KENT-14D7FB; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report. Mainly fine condition. [3, No Reserve]
Lot 1745
14th-16th century AD. A gilt-bronze mount with pyramidal centre, triangular lateral extensions and lobe finials; four spikes to the reverse. 14 grams, 38mm (1 1/2"). From an important London, Mayfair, collection; acquired in 1991, accession no.91.76, cat no.584. Hammond, B. Benet's Medieval Artefacts of England & The United Kingdom, Witham, 2015, p.311, item MO-23572. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1000
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze mould half with median socket, raised lip, lateral loops and pierced narrow end; the mould for production of amulets of Hercules' club. 22 grams, 35mm (1"). Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. The club of Hercules was worn by the Roman military as an amulet invoking the god's protective power. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
Lot 1490
10th century BC. A bronze dagger or short sword with triangular tapering blade, round-section midrib, raised crescentic rib to each face, D-shaped pommel and ribbed grip with lateral flanges to accept an organic insert. 352 grams, 45cm (17 3/4"). From a specialist collector of weaponry, London, UK; formed in the 1970s. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, fig.20. Fine condition.
Lot 374
Two 19th century Chinese bronze archaic artist's seals One surmounted with a temple dog, the other with a temple dog and rider; together with a small Tibetan bronze Buddha, typically modelled. The tallest 6 cm high. (3) CONDITION REPORTS: All generally in good condition, expected wear, one or two small casting flaws.
Lot 153
A 19th century bronze and champleve enamel desk stand The twin handled urn form inkwell flanked with putti representing the Arts, the pen tray decorated with flowering scrolls, standing on lappet cast pointed bun feet. 30 cm wide. CONDITION REPORTS: Generally in good condition, expected wear, some slight rubbing to decoration.
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350105 item(s)/page