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Click here to subscribe1st-2nd century AD. A mixed group of bronze pendants comprising: two phalloi with suspension loop above; one a plaque with male genitals, pierced lug above. 36 grams total, 26-36mm (1 - 1 1/2").[3] Fine condition. Property of a European collector; acquired Europe, 1980s-1990s. Cf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 587.
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze discoid plaque with repousse design of a seated female with crescent headdress confronted by a mounted horseman with falx(?), large facing figure between. 3.28 grams, 39mm (1 1/2"). [No Reserve] Fine condition; rim with evidence of mounting. Property of a gentleman; acquired in the late 1960s-early 1970s. The scene possibly represents the Thracian rider god with the Mother Goddess in front of him, sun and moon above and the bust of a male deity in the middle. The popularity of this cult spread through the Roman army after the conquest of Dacia by Trajan in the early second century AD.
1st century BC-2nd century AD. A bronze vessel mount formed as a vineleaf with raised stem, four attachment holes, central mask of Bacchus with wreath to the hair. 54 grams, 65mm (2 1/2").Fine condition. Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1970. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 473 for type.
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze group comprising: a ram's head with ferrous mounting stud; a bearded male mask with scrolled ears, beard and hair, spike to the reverse. 16 grams total, 27-29mm (1 - 1 1/4").[2, No Reserve] Fine condition. Property of a European collector; acquired Europe, 1980s-1990s.
1st century BC-2nd century AD. A mixed bronze group comprising: a stele with helmeted bust of Minerva(?); a C-section plaque with bearded mask of Faunus amid foliage. 97 grams total, 49-59mm (2 - 2 1/4")[2, No Reserve] Fair condition.. Property of a Lancashire collector; acquired on the UK art market.
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze openwork discoid mount comprising an outer ring with four slots to accept straps, inner ring with openwork scrolled tendrils; mounted on a custom-made stand. 100 grams, 14cm including stand (5 1/2"). Very fine condition, cleaned and conserved. Property of an East London collector; acquired in the 1970s. Cf. Appels, A. & Laycock, S. Roman Buckles and Military Fittings, Witham, 2007, items AA9.5-7.
1st century AD. A bronze terret with round-section loop, carinated collar above two lateral horns with pointille detailing, D-shaped pierced skirt. 29 grams, 45mm (1 3/4").[No Reserve] Fine condition. Ex Kelway collection; formed between 1975 and 2015; found Lincolnshire, UK. Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number LIN-F0BD14; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report.
3rd-4th century AD. A bronze buckle comprising: a rectangular plaque with propellor-shaped riveted attachment mount, double-tongue on the hinge-pin, loop formed as two dolphins flanking the bust of Oceanus. 26 grams, 35mm (1 1/2"). [No Reserve] Fine condition, one tongue absent. Property of a gentleman; acquired in the late 1960s-early 1970s. Cf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 3.614.
1st-3rd century AD. A pair of bronze medical instruments comprising: a scaphoid scoop or spoon with balustered handle and probe; a knife with single-edged blade. 20 grams, 23-25cm (9 - 9 3/4"). [2] Very fine condition. Private collection, North London; acquired in the early 1990s. See discussion in Milne, J. S. Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times, Oxford, 1907.
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze strigil with gently curved C-section blade, square-section shoulder with recesses to the upper and lower faces, narrow handle with recess to the upper face, hooked finial; seriffed 'N' to the underside of the shoulder. 44 grams, 18.5cm (7 1/4").[No Reserve] Fine condition. Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. See Roach Smith, C. The Antiquities of Richborough, Reculver and Lymne in Kent, London, 1850, p.203-4 for discussion of the type.
1st-2nd century AD. A folding knife comprising a hinged iron single-edged blade with rounded tip, bronze handle with saltires to the square plaque, ribbed round-section grip. 24 grams, 70mm (2 3/4").Very fine condition. Property of a Hertfordshire, UK collector; acquired London art market, 1960s-1980s. See Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, p.166-7, for type.
1st-4th century AD. A bronze steelyard balance consisting of a square sectioned rod with incised lines, three suspension rings with hooks; to the end a rectangular suspension loop with two chains and curving hooks. 115 grams, 44cm (17").[No Reserve] Fine condition. Property of a Middlesex gentleman; acquired in the 1980s.
3rd-4th century AD. A bronze key with rectangular shank and flat-section annular bow, cranked neck with saw-cut teeth. 67 grams, 67mm (2 3/4").Extremely fine condition. Property of a European collector; acquired Europe, 1980s-1990s. Cf. Pall, M. Schlüssel und Schlösser, Graz, 2012, item 2900.
2nd millennium BC. A penannular expanding hoop with twisted flanges to the middle, butted round-section ends. 5.02 grams, 28mm overall, 20.04mm internal diameter (approximate size British U, USA 10 1/4, Europe 23.0, Japan 22) (1"). Property of a Surrey, UK, gentleman; formerly from the collection of a noble Russian family, by descent. Cf. Taylor, J.T. Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles, Cambridge, 1980, plate 33(b"). Very fine condition.
2nd millennium BC. A penannular round-section gold bracelet with tapering ends. 35 grams, 74mm (3"). Property of a Surrey, UK, gentleman; formerly the property of a London gentleman; acquired in the late 1970s and 1980s. Cf. Clarke, D., Cowie, T., and Foxon, A. Symbols of Power at the Time of Stonehenge, Edinburgh, 1985, pp. 182-192 for a discussion on gold in the Bronze Age. The use of gold appeared at different times across Europe but was prolific by the early Bronze Age. Gold was used to demonstrate the power of particular persons, both male and female. Many finds from burials clearly show the symbolic power invested in this unmistakable material. In Western Europe the first gold objects appear in association with the warrior graves of the Beaker culture. The predominant belief system at this time would seem to be a solar cult and it is possible that gold reflected socio-religious concepts held by the elite owners. Very fine condition.
2nd millennium BC. A bronze neck-ring with spiral-bound carinated wire sleeve and flat-section clasp, three discoid plaques each with pointille detailing to the rim. 377 grams, neckring: 28cm (11"). From an old Munich collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Mid-1st millennium BC. A substantial bronze composite brooch formed as two S-coiled rods held in a cruciform arrangement by a central lozengiform plaque and two cross-straps to the reverse; the plaque with pointille borders and motif of leaves and roundels; to the reverse, a transverse bar with integral coil and pin to one end, catchplate to the other. 209 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1980s and 1990s. Cf. Hattatt, R. Brooches of Antiquity, Oxford, 1987, item 1348; and see Gelling, P. and Ellis Davidson, H. The Chariot of the Sun and Other Rites and Symbols of the Northern Bronze Age, London, 1969. The swirl is a common motif in the Bronze Age and seems to be associated with solar symbolism. It is often found carved onto outcrops of rock on a number of sites across the British Isles as well as decorating the kerb stones at the burial mounds of Newgrange and Knowth in Ireland. Here, the swirls have been formed into a swastika, again a solar symbol representing the beneficent power of the sun. Fine condition.
10th-8th century BC. The bronze blade of slender rapier form with incurving tapered sides and pronounced central ribs from a tapered socket with rectangular lozenge side loops; with a custom-made Georgian-period bog oak turned stand. 61 grams (spearhead), 248 grams total, 16cm (32cm on stand) (6 1/4 (12 1/2)"). Ex Evans collection; formerly in an old Suffolk collection; acquired in the 1960s; thence by descent; reputed to have been found in the north of Ireland before 1825. See Wilde, W. R., Catalogue of the Antiquities of Animal Materials and Bronze, Royal Irish Academy, 1861, p.496, fig.364, no.26 for a very similar but larger example; see also Coffey, George, The Bronze Age in Ireland, 1913, p.31, fig.27. [No Reserve] Extremely fine condition, small chip to one lower edge. Very rare.
Late 1st millennium BC. A leaf-shaped bronze blade with edge bevel, lozengiform midrib developing to a tubular socket with two small lateral loops, lozengiform plaques. 88 grams, 16cm (6 1/4"). Property of a South Yorkshire collector; found South Yorkshire. Cf. Evans, J. The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, item 394. Fine condition.
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.
1st millennium BC. A hollow-formed bronze sword fitting, possibly a pommel or the chape from a scabbard; discoid with central pierced boss and surrounding C-shaped recess, two pairs of lugs flanking the upper opening, each pierced for attachment. 136 grams, 68mm (2 3/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare. Ex Kelway collection; formed between 1975 and 2015; found Lincolnshire, UK. Exhibited at The Collection for the Society of Antiquaries Exhibition 2019-2010, Lincoln Museum, Lincolnshire, UK, exhibition number 9. Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number LIN-34D2A3; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report.
2nd millennium BC. A lentoid-section bronze blade, leaf-shaped with short tang pierced for attachment. 32 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition, tip absent. Ex Kelway collection; formed between 1975 and 2015; found Lincolnshire, UK. Exhibited at The Collection for the Society of Antiquaries Exhibition 2009-2010, Lincoln Museum, Lincolnshire, UK, exhibition number 7. Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number LIN-01C457; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report.
12th-8th century BC. A bronze spearhead with conical socket developing into the median rib of the lanceolate blade. 37 grams, 10cm (4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. Cf. Evans, J. The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, item 386.
2nd millennium BC. A slender bronze chisel with chamfered edge, octagonal-section tapering shank with square-section baluster to the middle. 71 grams, 20.5cm (8"). Very fine condition. Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1995. See Evans, J. The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 188, fig.190.
Western Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD. A bronze Hu wine vessel with basal ring, piriform body and socket mouth with applied loops in the form of cast taotie lion masks to the shoulders; the applied gold sheet overlay to exterior surfaces showing intricate incised ornament with, from the top, scrolls to rim; four narrow friezes of figures (many with bows, some lying on the ground, possibly a battle scene), also with canopies, birds and foliage; a raised double band with scrolls; a tall frieze of figures, platforms, canopies and birds (within which are affixed the two side loops); a central raised double band with scrolls; a tall frieze of three panels showing sea battles each with two ships, figures (some aboard the ships with long spears, others floating in the water) and fish divided by groups of figures ashore, some with spears; a lower raised double band with scrolls; the lowermost frieze with a series of incised heart-shaped leaf emblems and finishing with the basal ring with scrolls. 2 kg, 28cm (11"). Private collection, North London; acquired in the early 1990s. The technique, whereby thin gold sheets or foils have been affixed to the plain bronze body surface, can easily be seen on this vessel as the abutments between the individual foils are now visible; the ornamentation has been incised after the gold was affixed, to great effect. Hu vessels were first produced in the Shang Period (1600-1045 BC) and are still popular today; they reached their peak of production and excellence during the Han dynasty where they are lavishly applied with gold inlay and decorated with interlace of zoomorphic and geometric patterns. They are used for holding wine that was offered during rituals for honouring the ancestors, but, in later periods, they could also be used as wedding gifts and house warming presents to bring good fortune. Very fine condition. Excessively rare.
Qing Dynasty, 1616-1911 AD. A substantial bronze Xunde Lu incense burner vessel with three stub feet, waisted neck, flat rim, two loop handles to the shoulders, copying a Ming Dynasty (1426-1435 AD) type and with the square imperial seal of the emperor Hsuan-te (Xuan De) to the underside; a domed stand with three radiating petals to the upper face, central boss, three scrolled feet. 4.9kg total, 19.5cm including stand (7 3/4"). Property of Kent, UK lady; by inheritance. [2, No Reserve] Fine condition, light wear. Rare.
Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD. A bronze jar with flared base, tapering body, deep shoulder, broad ribbed neck; the body and base with dense incised patterns of scrolls and geometric shapes; six applied flanges to the base, three to the body each with a ram-head mask on the shoulder. 2.5 kg, 23cm (9"). UK art market, acquired prior to 2000. Very fine condition.
20th century AD. A bronze monumental figure of a pixiu standing with one foreleg advanced, mouth open, divided tail curled to the rear, bands of geometric ornament to the chest. 22 kg, 62cm (24 1/2"). Property of a London collector, acquired early 1990s. Pixiu is one of the five auspicious animals in ancient Chinese mythology, the other four being the dragon, phoenix, tortoise, and Chinese unicorn. The name means to ward off evil spirits and it is considered to be a very powerful protector to practitioners of Feng Shui. It is said to have a voracious appetite towards only gold and silver and is therefore an influential and auspicious creature for wealth. Fine condition.
19th-20th century AD. A gilt-bronze figurine of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani on a lotus-flower base within a nimbus of scrolling flames, wearing the crown of five skulls, bearing the vajra in his extended right hand and a rope in his left hand. 3.6 kg, 29cm (11 1/2"). From a London, UK, collection, formed in the 1970s. Vajrapani is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolise the Buddha's power. The Golden Light Sutra titles him great general of the yakshas. Vajrapani is extensively represented in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolises one of the Buddha's virtues: Manjushr? manifests all the Buddhas' wisdom, Avalokiteshvara manifests all the Buddhas' compassion and Vajrapani manifests all the Buddhas' power. Fine condition.
19th century AD. A hollow-formed parcel-gilt bronze figure of Amitabha Buddha sitting cross-legged with vase in his folded palms, hair piled in a top-knot with curlicue above; plate to the underside with incised rosette. 4.2 kg, 34.5cm (13 1/2"). From the Cheuk family collection; acquired before 1990. Amitabha is one of the most popular Buddhist deities whose name means immeasurable light. He is one of the five Dhyani Buddhas that arose from the primeval Buddha and are believed to dwell in a particular part of the cosmos. Amitabha dwells in the west in a paradise called Sukhavati, and entry to his kingdom is allowed to all who believe in him, and who call out to him at the moment of death. Fine condition.
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