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Lot 412
2nd century AD. A discoid bronze pendant with integral loop; raised border and low-relief image of a gryphon with raised wings, one forepaw on a wheel. 4.01 grams, 25mm (1"). UK art market, acquired prior to 1980. The depiction of a gryphon holding a palm branch and wheel is associated with the goddess Nemesis, goddess of divine retribution, and worshipped by gladiators before appearing at the games. The palm branch alludes to victory over misfortune and bad luck, and the wheel to the ever changing fortune of the world. The gryphon also appears in this pose on the bronze drachma coins of Marcus Aurelius, showing him as Caesar, issued in Alexandria, Egypt in 152 AD (Milne 2082; Emmett 1866.). Fine condition.
Lot 417
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze pendant of a phallus with ribbed prepuce, suspension ring to the upper face. Cf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 3.587. 29 grams, 62mm (2 1/2"). Property of a gentleman; acquired in the 1990s. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 419
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze mould of irregular shape which opens into two halves; on the inside is the die in the shape of a zoomorph with duck head. 45 grams, 47mm (1 3/4"). Property of a professional; acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. [2, No Reserve] Fine condition. Very rare.
Lot 420
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze strainer comprising a shallow bowl with thick chamfered rim, central dome with concentric rows of perforations; remains of two handles with attachments to the underside. 142 grams, 11.5cm (4 1/2"). From an important London collection, acquired in the 1970s. Very fine condition.
Lot 425
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze omega-shaped handle, round in section with flanges and knop finials, formed as an opposed pair of dolphins with a ribbed band between the mouths, knop above; mounted on a custom-made stand. Cf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R. The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 3.411. 115 grams with stand, 10cm wide (4"). Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, collector. Very fine condition.
Lot 428
3rd century AD. A matched pair of bronze stylus, each square in section with balustered upper section, pierced and with herringbone detailing; one with lug to the upper end and hardstone bead; double looped wire connector. See discussion in Ruseva-Slokoska, L. Roman Jewellery, Sofia, 1991. 28 grams, 13cm (5 1/4"). UK art market, acquired prior to 1980. Very fine condition.
Lot 435
1st-2nd century AD. A bronze chatelaine comprising a round-section ring and tiered body, two wings with rod between and three cosmetic tools attached: a spike with baluster to the shank; a pair of tweezers with inturned ends; a miniature spoon with baluster to the shank. 25 grams, 13cm (5"). Private collection, UK; formed in the 1980s. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
Lot 477
1st-3rd century AD. A mixed group of gaming pieces comprising: one bone astragalus unmodified, one with bronze insert and one one coloured green; three lead astragalus models. 229 grams total, 30-35mm (1 1/4 - 1 1/2"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. [6, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 478
1st-3rd century AD. A mixed group of astragalus bone gaming pieces comprising: three with bronze insert; one with two drilled holes to accept a bronze peg; two unmodified. 71 grams total, 30-35mm (1 1/4 - 1 1/2"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. [6, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 49
Ptolemaic Period, 305-30 BC. A bronze statuette of the goddess Isis seated with Horus on her lap; the goddess with the crown of Hathor with horns and sun-disc; flat to the underside. 46 grams, 48mm (2"). Property of a lady; acquired on the London art market before 1980. Naturalistic depictions of the goddess Isis nursing the infant Horus are rare at this period, though a few terracotta examples are known. Most images of Isis Lactans follow the traditional Egyptian form with the rigid frontal pose of the goddess wearing a large feathered crown. From the Late Period and to the Greco-Roman era, numerous statuettes were produced and disseminated far beyond the Nile Valley. Over time, the goddess Isis had become the most popular deity of the Egyptian pantheon and a complex mystery cult had developed based on salvation and belief in a life after death. Her role as a faithful wife to Osiris and devoted mother to Horus earned her an exceptional destiny in the Mediterranean world. Protector of women and children, she also developed other aspects such as Mistress of Magic, guardian of the dead, saviour, and as protector of sailors under the form of Isis Pharia. Her mystery cult spread throughout the Mediterranean world and shrines dedicated to the goddess, called Iseum, have been found from as far as Gaul, Britain, Germany and Spain. Representations of Isis suckling Horus inspired the representation of Virgin and Child, the most common theme in Christian art. The popularity of the cult of Isis bears testament to a vibrant and cosmopolitan culture where people from different regions of the Mediterranean world found spiritual satisfaction in venerating the same deity. Fine condition. Rare.
Lot 501
15th century AD or later. A substantial silver-gilt D-section hoop with discoid bezel and pad to the underside; the pad with incised starburst motif; the shoulders each with a heater shield and wolf rampant with notched outline; the bezel with zigzag collar and plaque with outer ring of pellets enclosing a monogram composed from a cross pattee and the letters '?????C'. 80 grams, 34mm overall, 20.67mm internal diameter (approximate size British V 1/2, USA 10 3/4, Europe 24.91, Japan 24) (1 1/2"). From an old German collection; acquired in Munich in the 1970s. Monograms have been in use on coinage since the 6th century BC. However, the degeneration of Roman coinage during the late empire seems to have necessitated a change in reverse styles. Though this change was not complete by any means, many reverse types became condensed forms of the imperial name since small bronze change after 415 AD consisted almost exclusively of minimi or the nummus. Monograms are also found on column capitals at a number of Byzantine churches and this was a way for the Imperial benefactor to mark the building as their own. The use of monograms spread to be included in jewellery, particularly as pagan symbols fell out of favour, and the owner of a ring would wish to have a personal seal that reflected their taste and that of the Imperial court. Very fine condition.
Lot 506
8th-12th century AD. A substantial bronze-cased weight with discoid base, six angled facets to the sidewall, flat hexagonal top; circle of punched pellets enclosing an expanding-arm cross and 'N?' with pellets and baseline. For discussion, see Weber, K. Byzantinische Münzgewichte: Materialkorpus für 1-Nomisma-Gewichte, Schwelm, 2009. 223 grams, 48mm (2"). From an important collection of Christian artefacts formed in the 1970s and 1980s; the property of a City gentleman. Very fine condition.
Lot 51
Late Period, 664-332 BC. A bronze figurine representing Osiris with flail and crook in his crossed arms, plaited beard, atef crown to his head. 59 grams, 10.6cm (4 1/4"). From the private collection of a London gentleman, acquired prior to 1985. Fine condition with good facial features, repair to feet.
Lot 515
8th-12th century AD. A discoid bronze pendant with radiating fronds to the reverse, low-relief image of Mary Theotokos with raised hands, infant Jesus on her lap. 7.79 grams, 32mm (1 1/4"). Property of a professional; acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 521
6th-9th century AD. A bronze flat-section cruciform pendant with suspension loop; to one face the Corpus Christi with 'AH' above, to the other a robed nimbate figure with '??' above. 6.09 grams, 39mm (1 1/2"). Property of a professional; acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. Very fine condition.
Lot 523
11th-13th century AD. A bronze lock case formed as a model horse with curved neck, flat-section legs and hinged tail; incised designs to the shoulders and rump. 23 grams, 52mm (2"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent, 1972. Very fine condition.
Lot 526
6th-10th century AD. A mixed group of square flat-section bronze trade weights comprising: one with '??' and silver-inlaid cross within a circle; one with 'NS' with cross, all within a wreath; one with chamfered edges, '?B' beneath a cross within a wreath. See Weber, K. Byzantinische Münzgewichte: Materialkorpus für 1-Nomisma-Gewichte, Schwelm, 2009. 120 grams total, 20-34mm (3/4 - 1 1/4"). Property of a European gentleman living in London; acquired in the UK before 1980. [3] Fine condition.
Lot 528
10th-14th century AD. A mixed group of mainly bronze items comprising: two hinged belt mounts; three plaques; a miniature bell; a stylus with heart-shaped plaque; a claw pendant; a blue glass disc pendant; a triangular stone animal's head. 56 grams total, 21-69mm (3/4 - 2 3/4"). Property of a lady; acquired in the late 1970s on the London art market. [10, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 536
8th-9th century AD. A gold ring with plain shank with round bezel with open cells around the edge; in the centre gold wire cells filled with white and green cloisonné enamel forming the head of a hound. For a similar ring, but depicting a bird, found at Wincheap, near Canterbury, Kent, see The British Museum, accession number 1951,0205.1 3 grams, 20.44mm overall, 19.23mm internal diameter, (approximate ring size, British S 1/4, USA 9 1/4, Europe 60 1/4, Japan 19). (3/4"). With Maurice Braham, 1990s; formerly the property of Miss Davies, by gift from Dowager Viscountess Rosamund Hanworth (1918-2014). Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Champlevé enamel, which is in cast or engraved fields, is found in Saxon metalwork from the fifth century onwards; the earliest example is on a sword pommel, but it was relatively uncommon. The technique may have been brought in from Scandinavia or learnt from the British. Largely confined to eastern England, enamel was used in small amounts in the sixth century, mainly on dress fasteners. In the ninth century, red enamel appeared occasionally on strap ends and dress hooks, while polychrome enamelled brooches were imported from the Rhineland. Fine cloisonné enamels (with cell walls made of gold strip, back-plates and a variety of glass colours) were manufactured by the late ninth century to decorate finger rings and elaborate mounts, including the *Alfred Jewel; this technical development may reflect influence from Germany and Lotharingia. The glasses are predominantly opaque white, blue, green, yellow and red with some translucent green. A related series of Anglo-Saxon gilt bronze disc-brooches with polychrome cloisonné enamels in a central roundel has been found in England and Denmark. These show a variety of floral and other patterns and date to the tenth and eleventh centuries.The ring is made using a technique the same as the famous Alfred Jewel now in the Ashmolean Museum. The majority of the few known gold and enamel rings tend to show a cross or floral pattern, whilst animal representations are very rare. Very fine condition.
Lot 555
5th-6th century AD. A boar's tusk amulet mounted in a bronze frame comprising a broad circumferential strip and flat-section suspension strap, attached by a single rivet. Published in Hammond, B., British Artefacts, volume I - Early Anglo-Saxon, also see animal teeth mounted as pendants in Chambers, R.A. Oxonensia, vol.40, 1975, p.192. For a discussion on the importance of boar tusks in the Anglo Saxon period see, Meaney, A. Anglo Saxon Amulets and Curing Stones, British Archaeological Reports 96, 1981, p. 132 - 134. 8.66 grams, 47mm (1 3/4"). From an old English collection; acquired in the 1990s. The boar was an important symbol to the Anglo-Saxon warrior class, who used its image on their helmets (Benty Grange, Wollaston, Derbyshire) and other war-gear; the Old English word eofor ‘boar’ was used figuratively for ‘persistent and determined lone warrior’. Boar tusks have been found in a dozen Anglo Saxon graves and they appear to have some sort of amuletic purpose. At Purwell Farm in Oxfordshire, a perforated boar tusk was found in the grave of a woman with a group of amulets that appear to have been kept together in a bag. The boar was extremely important in Germanic and Celtic religion and Tacitus tells us that the Aestii people, who lived in what is today modern day Lithuania, wore masks of boars as emblems of the Mother Goddess and which protected them in battle. The boar is also sacred to the Viking deities Frey and Freya. [No Reserve] Fine condition. Extremely rare.
Lot 561
6th century AD. A bronze cruciform brooch comprising: rectangular headplate with vertical borders and rows of punched crescent detail, D-section waisted knop to the three outer edges, deep bow with median groove, rows of similar punched detail and transverse banding to the ends, short footplate with ribbed collar, horse-head finial with conical eyes; pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse. Cf. West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Finds From Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998, fig.146, item 18. 24 grams, 77mm (3"). Property of a Hertfordshire collector; acquired London art market, 1980s. Very fine condition.
Lot 562
6th century AD. A bronze cruciform bow brooch of Type IV with rectangular headplate, deep bow and long footplate; the headplate with raised trapezoidal panel and three D-section knops, row of horseshoe punchmarks to each lateral edge; the bow chamfered at each end and carinated; the footplate with lateral lugs bearing ring-and-dot motifs, horse-head finial with roundels and punched pounts; pin-lug to the reverse with remains of ferrous pin, catchplate in situ. Cf. West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Finds From Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998, plate 149, item 3. 51 grams, 10.5cm (4"). Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1980s and 1990s. Fine condition.
Lot 567
5th-6th century AD. A gilt-bronze button brooch with the face in the half-round and the surrounding flange reduced to a thick border; catchplate and pin-lug to the reverse. Cf. Avent, R. & Evison, V.I. Anglo-Saxon Button Brooches in Archaeologia, vol.CVII, 1982, plate XVIII, item 40.1. 3.07 grams, 16mm (3/4"). Found Yorkshire, UK. The narrow flange is present on a handful of such brooches; the present item most resembles the example from Blandford published by Avent and Evison. The helmetted face is clearly visible but the lack of the dished flange has allowed the surface to wear more than is usual; the gilding is substantially intact. Very fine condition. Excessively rare.
Lot 576
Late 8th-9th century AD. A bronze appliqué formed as a canine head with triangular ears, piriform muzzle, pellet eyes; the neck formed as a shallow channel. Cf. Webster, L. & Backhouse, J. The Making of England. Anglo-Saxon Art and Culture AD 600-900, London, 1991. 9.69 grams, 27mm (1"). Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent, 1972. The head is typical of 8th-9th century Anglo-Saxon zoomorphic metalwork with similarities to those shown on the Strickland brooch (Webster & Backhouse, item 189) and a range of strap ends (ibid., item 191) and other items of personal adornment. The style recalls the details of manuscript illustration in e.g. the mid-8th century Stuttgart Psalter, produced in the scriptorium at Echternach founded by the Anglo-Saxon missionary, St. Willibrord (ibid., item 128a, initial to Psalm 1, detail of the 'e' in 'beatus'). The fragmented neck suggests that the object formed the finial to a decorative strip, perhaps similar in kind to the crest of the Coppergate helmet (ibid., item 47). [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 580
5th-7th century AD. A bronze cosmetic or toilet set comprising: a pair of tweezers with sliding retaining bar, incised borders; two flat-section nail-cleaners with incised borders and ring-and-dot;wire securing ring and length of chain. Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, items 37.1, 38.23, 39.1. 6.47 grams, 66mm (2 3/4"). Found Saxby, Lincolnshire, UK, 1986. Fine condition.
Lot 633
1000-1470 AD. A ceramic vessel with flat base and globular body, elliptical in plan, tubular neck; the upper body with four panels with reserved designs of figures in bird costume. 770 grams, 23cm (9"). From an old private collection; acquired before 1990. The Chimú built a capital at Chan Chan, just north of Trujillo. Chan Chan is the largest pre-Columbian city in Peru, covering about 20 sq km, and is estimated to have housed about 50,000 people. Gone, for the most part, is the technique of painting pots. Instead, they were fired by a simpler method than that used by the Moche, producing the typical blackware seen in many Chimú pottery collections. Despite its poorer quality, this pottery still shows us life in the Chimú kingdom. Although the quality of the ceramics declined, metallurgy developed and various alloys, including bronze, were worked. The Chimú were also exceptionally fine goldsmiths. It is as an urban society that the Chimú are best remembered. Their huge capital contained approximately 10,000 dwellings of varying quality and importance. Buildings were decorated with friezes, the designs moulded into the mud walls, and the more important areas were layered with precious metals. There were storage bins for food and other products from their empire, which stretched along the coast from the Gulf of Guayaquil to Chancay. There were huge walk-in wells, canals, workshops and temples. The royal dead were buried in mounds with a wealth of funerary offerings. The Chimú had a highly organised society - it must have been to have built and supported a city such as Chan Chan. Chimor was conquered by the Incas 50 years before the arrival of the Spanish, so there were plenty of survivors from pre-Inca times to dictate the particulars of daily life before the conquest by Inca Tupac Inca Yupanqui. Chimor grew out of the remnants of the Moche culture. Very fine condition.
Lot 635
2nd millennium BC. A D-section gold penannular bracelet of European type with splayed and clubbed finials. Cf. Taylor, J.T. Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles, Cambridge, 1980, plate 53b. 70 grams, 81mm (3 1/4"). Property of an Essex collector; acquired 1970s. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Goldwork first appeared in western Europe in the early second millennium BC and is associated with high status individuals; in Britain the natural enrichment of the native metal by tin and copper suggest alluvial sources for the gold and the main sources for gold throughout the Bronze Age would have been from Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, west and north Ireland, as well as the central European area of Transylvania. Gold played a valued role in prehistoric society, principally being found in elite burials and the objects were not simply art or ornamentation but probably designated both the high social rank of the individual as well as their tribal/political, religious and occupational status. The British Isles were the dominant centre for gold work and although there were links with Brittany, the latter area seems to have lacked the same skills to work gold until a later date. British gold work is noted for its highly burnished finish which required considerable skill and man hours to produce. The most common gold ornaments from the period take the form of buttons, hair rings, lunulae, bracelets and ornamentation for daggers. The style of bracelet as seen in this example, with the flaring ends, became popular in the late Bronze Age and carried on into the Iron Age across much of Europe. Similar examples to this one can be seen in the Milton Keynes hoard and an example found at Beaumaris on Anglesey, all of which are now in the British Museum. Very fine condition, slight distortion.
Lot 636
10th-5th century BC. A very heavy matched pair of solid gold European penannular ornamental fasteners, tapering to each end, with opposed trumpet terminals. Cf. Taylor, J.T. Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles, Cambridge, 1980, plate 47. 44 grams total, 26mm (1"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired by his father in the 1970s; thence by descent. [2] Very fine condition.
Lot 645
1st millennium BC. A matched pair of bronze penannular bracelets, each with panels of ribbed ornament to the outer face with scrolls and coils. 391 grams total, 11 - 12cm (4 1/2 - 4 3/4"). Property of a professional; acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. [2, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 646
1st millennium BC. A mixed group of bronze adornments comprising: a C-section bangle with internal segments; a penannular bracelet with ribbing to the outer face; a penannular bracelet with segmented outer face, vertical ribbing and scrolls. 400 grams total, 10-12cm (4 1/4 - 4 3/4"). Property of a professional; acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. [3, No Reserve] Fine condition.
Lot 648
10th-5th century BC. A bronze finger ring formed as a square-section rod in a tapering tubular coil with large perpendicular spiral plaque. Cf. MacGregor, A. (ed.) Antiquities from Europe and the Near East in the Collection of Lord MacAlpine of West Green, Oxford, 1987, item 8.7 for an arm-ring formed in a similar manner. 23 grams, 56mm overall, 16.00 x 18.92mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 8 3/4, Europe 19.38, Japan 18) (2 1/4"). UK art market, acquired prior to 1980; formerly in the Maurice Braham collection. Extremely fine condition.
Lot 668
800-500 BC. A bronze looped and socketted axehead with convex edge and lateral spurs, bulbous collar to mouth, raised D-shaped wings to each broad face. Cf. Schmidt, P.K. & Burgess, C.B. The Axes of Scotland and Northern England, Prähistorische Bronzefunde, Ab. IX, vol. 7, Munich, 1981, item 1287. 305 grams, 10.5cm (4 1/4"). Property of an Essex collector; acquired 1970s. Extremely fine condition.
Lot 672
800-500 BC. A bronze looped and socketted axehead with slightly flared cutting edge; thickened collar to mouth, elongated beaks, single ovoid loop, lateral ribs to each face Cf. Read, C.H. British Museum Guide to the Antiquities of the Bronze Age, London, 1904, item 105. 96 grams, 71mm (2 3/4"). Property of an American collector; acquired 1980-2000. [No Reserve] Very fine condition. Professionally restored, cleaned and conserved.
Lot 674
800-500 BC. A bronze looped and socketted axehead with convex edge and lateral spurs, bulbous collar to mouth, raised D-shaped wing to each broad face. Cf. Schmidt, P.K. & Burgess, C.B. The Axes of Scotland and Northern England, Prähistorische Bronzefunde, Ab. IX, vol. 7, Munich, 1981, item 1287. 275 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). Property of an Essex collector; acquired 1970s. Fine condition.
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