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Click here to subscribe2nd-1st century BC. A large bronze bow brooch of La Tène II type with spring and pin attached to the head, balustered bow, returned foot with hatch detailing, bulb and bifid finial; catch formed as a slot in the foot. 43 grams, 79mm (3 1/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. Cf. Hattatt, R. Iron Age and Roman Brooches, Oxford, 1985, item 227 for type. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
Later 2nd-3rd century AD. A bronze box-chape with slightly flared lateral edges, scrolled lower edge; the outer face with raised leaf-shaped panel and median rib, crescentic voids below the arched bow with notched upper edge; the reverse with plain bow to the upper edge, similar voids; silver(?"). domed rivet to the front face. 41 grams, 53mm (2"). From a private German collection, acquired prior to 2000. Cf. Chapman, E.M. A Catalogue of Roman Military Equipment in the National Museum of Wales, BAR British Series no.388, Oxford, 2005, items Bc04, Bc14. Fine condition.
Qin Dynasty, 221-207 BC. A bronze socketted spearhead with central rib, hole in socket for attachment; makers mark in the form of five characters to the base. 2.6 grams, 12.5cm (5"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; from the private collection of John Moor, Brigantia Antiquities, York, UK; acquired by John Moore in the 1960s. Fine condition.
9th-11th century AD. A group of three bronze penannular bracelets, each a flat-section strap with a bear's head in plan to each end, geometric ornament; Baltic workmanship. 281 grams total, 62-69mm (2 1/2 - 2 3/4"). Property of a gentleman; acquired before 1990. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate LXXI, item 24. Fine condition. [3, No Reserve]
2nd millennium BC. A pair of Bronze Age leaf-shaped blades, both with central rib, separate socketted handle, flared guard, pierced grip with bone pommel absent. 294 grams total, 21-23.5cm (8 1/4 - 9 1/4"). From an old English collection; acquired on the UK art market before 1970. Cf. Khorasani, M.M. Arms and Armour from Iran - The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.375, Cat.2, inventory no.668. Fine condition. Scarce. [2]
4th-5th century AD. A horse-harness suite comprising: iron snaffle-bit with bronze side-bars and four gilt-bronze strap-plates each with repoussé circles and three cabochon garnet inserts; four tongue-shaped gold strap ends with repoussé zigzags and fixing rivets; two lozengiform gold pendants with geometric repoussé detailing, bronze disc suspension point; three gold foil strap junctions, each a group of five gold foil discs with cabochon garnet inserts, beaded borders; twelve strap reinforcers, each three discs joined by hatched panels, three cabochon garnet inserts. 111 grams total, pendants: 52mm (2"). Fine condition. Very rare. [22] From a European collection; formerly in an old Oriental collection; acquired 1960. Cf. garnet and gold plaques in Bonora, G.L. & Marzatico, F. Ori dei Cavalieri delle Steppe, Milan, 2007, p.296 plate 8.
9th-11th century AD. A group of three bronze penannular bracelets comprising: one of longitudinally twisted rods, one of twisted wires with loop finials, one similar with a spiral within each loop. 45 grams total, 60-70mm (2 1/2 - 2 3/4"). Property of a gentleman; acquired before 1990. Fine condition. [3, No Reserve]
13th-6th century BC. A bronze axehead with tubular socket and rectangular blade, ribbed collar to lower edge of the socket and open-mouthed beast-head above. 171 grams, 11.5cm (4 1/2"). Property of a retired London collector; acquired before 1990. Cf. Legrain, L. Luristan Bronzes in the University Museum, Pennsylvania, 1934, plate XII. Fine condition, repaired.
1st century BC-1st century AD. A surgical tool comprising a bronze body and iron blade; the square-section handle with ribbed collar, extended leaf-shaped blade to the rear, inset blade with curved edge. 22 grams, 14.5cm (5 3/4"). From a private German collection; acquired prior to 2000. See Milne, J.S. Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times, Oxford, 1907, for discussion. Very fine condition.
2nd millennium BC. A bronze frame formed as three hoops connected by vertical bars each with a median bulb, three flared feet, three radiating horned bovine heads to the upper hoop. 2.6 kg, 28.5cm (11 1/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980-1990. Fine condition; one horn and one foot damaged. Very rare.
6th century AD. A gilt-bronze saucer brooch with flat rim, chip-carved quatrefoil to the centre, remains of pin-lug and catch to the reverse. 5.05 grams, 20mm (3/4"). Found near Upminster, Essex, UK. Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 2.26. The brooch lies on the lower end of the size range for saucer brooches, and the upper end for button brooches. The quatrefoil design is more usually associated with the saucer type. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze appliqué bust of a maenad with vine leaf headdress framing long hair falling to the shoulders; tunic over body and to the right leg of fawn skin mantle hangs down; eyes and parts of robes inlaid in silver. 158 grams, 85mm (3 1/4"). Fine condition. Property of a West Yorkshire lady; acquired from BidAncient, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK, 15 June 2005; with the original Certificate of Authenticity, bank receipt and correspondence. See Mattusch, C. Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples, London, 2008, for similar examples. Previously identified as the goddess Diana, the appliqué is that of a maenad, a female follower of Bacchus, god of wine. The characteristic features of the maenads were a wreath of ivy and vine leaves, as well as a cloak made from the skin of a fawn, all of which are present on this piece. The wide expressive eyes on this piece suggest ritual intoxication and ecstatic frenzy for which the maenads were noted during their worship of Bacchus.
14th century AD. A bronze bell-shaped vessel with radiating loop and studs to the rim; reserved parcel-gilt calligraphic text on a patterned field with rosettes below. 1.7 kg, 14.5cm high (5 3/4"). The property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980s-early 1990s. Cf. von Gladiss, A. Glanz und Substanz. Metallarbeitung in der Sammlung des Museums für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, 2012, item 68 for type. Fair condition; base absent.
17th-18th century AD or later. A gilt bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara standing on a lotus flower, flowing robes around the waist and legs, right hand held up in Abhya Mudra, left holding an open lotus flower; sash around shoulders; head with central Buddha image on the crown. 3 kg, 32cm (12 1/2"). Private collection, North London; acquired in the early 1990s. Fine condition.
17th-18th century AD. A bronze magic bowl with raised boss in the centre, wide foot to the base; geometric pattern to the inside with Koranic inscriptions over the surface; outside with roundels and entire surface covered with inscriptions from the Koran. 463 grams, 19.5cm (7 3/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired before 1989. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
10th-11th century AD. A bronze pendant comprising a triangular panel with ribbed and zigzag bars, chains to the lower edge each with a duck-foot finial; Baltic workmanship. 109 grams, 18cm (7"). Property of a gentleman; acquired before 1990. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plates XXIX, XXX, XXXV. Fine condition, loop absent. [No Reserve]
14th-15th century AD. A pair of finger rings comprising: one silver with facetted hoop, hexagonal plaque with pelleted border, hatched capital 'R'; one bronze with flat-section hoop, stepped shoulders, octagonal bezel with hatched capital 'R'. 15 grams total, 26mm (1"). Property of a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. Very fine condition. Large wearable sizes. [2]
10th-12th century AD. A pair of bronze finger rings comprising: a broad flat-section hoop with geometric detailing, octagonal plaque with radiating shapes; a D-section hoop with ellipsoid plaque, reserved star on a textured field. 16 grams total, 22-24mm (1"). Property of a London, UK collector; acquired London market, 1990s. Very fine condition. [2, No Reserve]
12th-15th century AD. A D-section flat bronze hoop enclosing a discoid plaque with incised pentagram. 4.21 grams, 22.03 overall, 19.51mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 3/4, Europe 21.26, Japan 20"). (1"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1995. The pentagram was used in ancient times as a Christian symbol for the five wounds of Christ. In the medieval period it was recognised as the Seal of Solomon and occurs in the 14th-century English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which the symbol decorates the shield of the hero, Gawain. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
14th century AD. A large enamelled bronze bifacial horse-harness banneret with lozengiform plaque and lateral ring; the heraldic design blazoned 'Azure a lion rampant gardant or', a variant of the arms of the Neville family. 45 grams, 67mm (2 3/4"). Found Hampshire, UK. The arms of the Neville family are 'Azure a lion rampant or', of which the present heraldry appears to be a variant with the lion facing the viewer. The lozenge-shaped banneret denoted a female bearer of the arms. Fine condition.
12th century AD. A squat bronze bowl with inclined sidewall and thick, chamfered rim; to the inner face, a band of reserved text on a hatched field enclosing an ibex and vegetation; running guilloche band to the rim, reserved text to the sidewall; to the underside, a band of reserved scrolled foliage on a hatched field, scrolls and concentric rings surrounding a rosette. 607 grams, 18cm (7"). Property of a retired London collector; acquired before 1990. Cf. von Gladiss, A. Glanz und Substanz. Metallarbeitung in der Sammlung des Museums für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, 2012, item 43 for similar design. Fine condition.
11th-12th century AD. A bronze censer or staff top in the form of a short socket pierced for attachment; top a dome shape with openwork equal armed crosses with bosses between each cross forming a matrix pattern. 18 grams, 50mm (2"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in the Brian Riley collection, Yorkshire, UK, 2007. Fair condition. [No Reserve]
1st-3rd century AD. A bronze mount in the form of the god Jupiter-Ammon depicted as a bearded male head with ram's horns curving round the ears; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.3 grams, 10.5cm including stand (4 1/4"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; acquired at auction in 2008; previously with Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
12th-14th century AD. A bronze vessel with collared rim with long thin neck below; flat shoulder with rosette decoration and globular body with flaring base; handle to the rim and with standing bird at top. 241 grams, 14cm (5 1/2"). From an old German collection; acquired before 1990. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
5th-7th century AD. A tail end to a bronze brooch with scrolling dragon heads either side of a fan tail axe-shape, pierced for suspension. 12 grams, 35mm (1 3/4"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; from the private collection of John Moor, Brigantia Antiquities, York, UK, 2008; acquired by John Moore in the 1980s. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
6th-7th century AD. A set of three bronze hanging bowl mounts with suspension rings, each a slightly domed discoid plaque with four keyhole voids, a D-section hook with discoid stud at the base, beast-head detailing to the finial with longitudinal ribbing for the mane, D-shaped ears and stepped inner face for the mouth; the mounts each with the original thin (0.3mm"). wall of the bowl to which they were attached; supplied with the base of the bowl and fragments of the rim; suitable for sympathetic remounting and display. 221 grams total, mounts: 54-56mm (2 1/4"). Fine condition. [6] Found Suffolk, UK. See Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B. Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010, p.279-80. Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B. Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010, plate 56. Large bronze hanging bowls appear in wealthy Anglo-Saxon graves in the 6th and 7th century. They are not substantial enough to have been used for preparing food over an open fire. They usually have three suspension hooks on the rim which suggests that they were hung on chains from a beam in the hall. It is likely that they were used for the ostentatious serving of drink (wine, beer or mead) on ceremonial occasions.
1st century AD. A bronze discoid mount with gusset and loop to the reverse, raised central boss with incuse triskele motif. 8.57 grams, 24mm (1"). From an old Hampshire collection; found near Chichester, West Sussex, UK, in 1992, recorded with Chichester Museum. Cf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 3.6 for type. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
1st century BC-1st century AD. A Roman copy of a Hellenistic bronze winged nude Cupid statuette with fine facial detailing, the hair gathered in a knot above the forehead, raised right arm holding a torch, left arm extended to the rear, the legs in a running pose. 124 grams, 80mm (3"). Fine condition, left foot and right wing absent, torch broken. Ex V.C. Vecchi and Sons Ltd., Great Smith Street, London, 1971-1985. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 116; Durham, E. Metal Figurines in Roman Britain, volume 2, 2010, plate 36, Cupid 697. Eros/Cupid is frequently depicted holding a torch. He is sometimes shown extinguishing the flame, which in later representations on Roman sarcophagi most likely alludes to death. In some cases, the burning torch may also symbolise ardent desire and burning love. Such pieces could also have acted as decorative supports for oil lamps, as seen in examples from Pompeii.
1st century BC-1st century AD. A bronze bust of Jupiter, bearded and with a diadem to the hair, modelled in the half-round. 23 grams, 34mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London, UK collector; acquired London market, 1990s. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, items 6, 11. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
9th-12th century AD. A hollow-formed bronze animal figure with gaping mouth, band of annulets to the head, tail and lower edge of the body, links with pendant rumbler bell; Baltic workmanship. 31 grams, 86mm (3 1/2"). Property of a gentleman; acquired before 1990. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate LXV for type. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
9th-14th century AD. A mixed bronze group comprising: a billeted strip with raven-head finial; a scooped panel with opposed bird heads; a plaque with addorsed bird heads; a pendant cosmetic spoon with ram-head handle. 25 grams total, 31-60mm (1 1/4 - 2 1/2"). Acquired on the German art market in the 1990s. Fine condition. [4, No Reserve]
Late 3rd millennium BC. An Early Bronze Age copper flat axe of rectangular section, tapered from a narrow squared butt to slightly convex cutting edge. 152 grams, 15.5cm (6"). Property of a gentleman; found Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK, 1990. See Savoury, H. N., Guide Catalogue of the Bronze Age Collections, National Museum of Wales, 1980, fig.17 for similar examples. Very fine condition.
12th century AD. A bronze barrel key with elongated flat-section bow, rectangular lateral bit with two slots and raised border. 18 grams, 67mm (2 3/4"). Found East Langdon, Kent, UK. Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference number KENT-845F6B; accompanied by a print out of the PAS report. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
5th-6th century AD. A bronze pendant with engraved image of a 4th century Roman emperor facing left with long tiers of hair and wearing armour, radiating lines to the edges and domed to the back; suspension ring to the top. 11 grams, 27mm (1"). Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. Fine condition.
3rd-5th century AD. A large bronze Kiev culture openwork roundel with cross in the centre with zigzag pattern; to the edges four curving claw shapes, two filled with white and red enamel; two suspension loops to the rear. 31.57 grams, 60mm (2 1/4"). Acquired on the German 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 historical ancestors of the Slavs. However, there are suggestions that in different regions of the Kiev culture ethnogenetic processes were not the same. In some cases, the Slavic component prevailed, whilst Baltic and others were dominant elsewhere. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
1st-3rd century AD. A bronze discoid plaque with three fixing points, raised mask of a lion with fur texture, sides of the mouth open to accept a bronze ring; provincial workmanship; mounted on a custom-made stand. 386 grams, 18cm including stand (7"). Property of a Gloucester gentleman; previously in an old Sussex collection. Very fine condition. [No Reserve]
9th-11th century AD. A mixed group of bronze pendants comprising: one gilt, a beaded ring; one an omega-shaped ropework loop; one discoid with expanding-arm cross; one discoid with openwork cross pommy and beaded border; one a ring and cross with lobes to the outer edge. 20 grams total, 24-38mm (1 - 1 1/2"). Acquired on the German art market in the 1990s. Fine condition. [5, No Reserve]
2nd-4th century AD. A bronze peltiform chape with lateral scrolls to each face, median vertical band with trefoil finial; attachment holes to both faces. 55 grams, 62mm (2 1/2"). Private collection, North London; acquired in the early 1990s. Cf. Chapman, E.M. A Catalogue of Roman Military Equipment in the National Museum of Wales, BAR British Series no.388, Oxford, 2005, item Bb01. Fine condition.
2nd-1st century BC. A sheet bronze rhyton finial of a ram's head with ribbed horns, fur texture to the throat and neck; mounted on a custom-made stand. 263 grams, 15.5cm including stand (6"). Property of a Gloucester gentleman; previously in a London private collection. Cf. for similar in silver see Brooklyn Museum, acc no. 1998.188.1, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston, acc. no.64.2075 Fair condition. [No Reserve]
8th-12th century AD. A bronze brooch in the form of a flying raven with fan tail, short wings and large, hooked beak; interlace decoration to the body; remains of pin and catch plate to the rear. 3.86 grams, 36mm (1 1/2"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; from the private collection of John Moor, Brigantia Antiquities, York, UK, 2008; acquired by John Moore in the 1980s. Fine condition.
7th-1st century BC. A bronze lunate shaped fitting with defined ridge to the top, flat body with incised triangles; bar across the top for attachment. 26 grams, 50mm (2"). Property of a West Yorkshire lady; previously in the Brian Riley collection, Yorkshire, UK; 2007. Fine condition. [No Reserve]
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