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Lot 387
R Sellers typed signed letter regarding his time with 46 sqn from WW2 Battle of Britain historian Ted Sergison collection. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 130
Battle of Britain Fighter Ace R A B Learoyd VC signed The Major Assault 9-12th August official signed cover RAFA 5. Signed by Wing Commander R. A. B. Learoyd VC. GB stamp and 50th Anniversary of The Invasion of Norway British Forces 2227 Postal Services April 1990 postmark. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 42
HRH Prince Phillip signed 1999 Royal Navy official cover comm. The passing out parade and Dartmouth RN College. Also signed buy Commodore R Clare. Only 50 signed. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 157
Wg Cdr R C Wilkinson signed Joint Service Fighter cover JSF24 commemorating the Royal Air Force Halton Show 18th June 1988. Miniature stamp sheet No 1455 featuring four aircraft, Gloster F5/34, Supermarine Type 224, Westland Pterodactyl 5, and Fairey Fantome. 31p GB stamp postmarked BFPS 2169 18th June 1988. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 133
Battle of Britain Fighter Ace R P Beamont signed The Night Blitz 23-31st December official signed cover RAFA 20. Signed by Wing Commander R. P. Beamont CBE DSO DFC DL FRAeS. Belize 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain stamp and First Day of Issue Belize September 1990 postmark. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 146
Air Vice-Marshal A V R Johnstone signed Joint Service Fighter cover JSF13 commemorating the Disbandment of No 60 Sqn. Miniature stamp sheet No 2006 featuring four aircraft, Nieuport 17, SE 5a, DH Venom FB 4, and Andover. 17p Lord Dowding / Hurricane GB stamp postmarked BFPS 2318 10th March 1992. 5p GB QEII stamp postmarked BFPS 2318 10th March 1992. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 382
Multiple signed 50th ann BOB cover signed by E Donaldson 151 sqn, A Vrana 312 sqn, R Whitehead 151 sqn, C Brown 245 sqn, R Hay 808 sqn, J Renvoize 247 sqn from WW2 Battle of Britain historian Ted Sergison collection. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 374
22 BOB pilots signed Memorial Capel greetings card, signed inside by K Hollowell 25 sqn, H Smith 235 sqn, R James 29 sqn, K Stoddart 611 sqn, B Sharman 248 Sqn, M Croskell 213 Sqn, R Sellers 46 sqn, J Toombs 236 sqn, K Wilkinson 616 sqn, A Gregory 219 Sqn, M Wainwright 64 sqn, C Bamberger 610 sqn, R Watts 253 sqn, T Gray 64 sqn, G Stevens 151 sqn, R Smyth 111 sqn, G Wellum 92 sqn, H Pinfold 56 sqn, K Mackenzie 501 sqn, T Pickering 501 sqn, W Clark 219 sqn, R Foster 605 sqn from WW2 Battle of Britain historian Ted Sergison collection. Good Condition. All signed pieces come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99.
Lot 127
A George IV silver shilling coin glass tankard the bowl of inverted baluster form with concentric ribbing to the upper rim and a gadrooned base, the stem with squat hollow knop with George IV shilling, above a conical spreading foot, 17cm high together with a small glass milk pail, impressed 'R' mark to the base, 15cm high (2)
Lot 192
A pair of German porcelain table centrepieces, probably Dresden modelled as male and female winged figures in bright polychrome, standing above three urn-shaped vases encrusted with flowers, on a pale pink and turquoise scrolling base painted with insects and adorned with feline masks, underglaze blue R mark, 30cm high
Lot 193
A diamond three stone ring, the old brilliant cut stones claw set in white metal to the centre of a yellow metal mount with fluting to top and bottom, overall width at front 14mm, shank marked 18ct, gross weight of mount approximately 11gms, ring size R, Valuation for Insurance certificate by Lumbers of Leicester dated September 1993 for one thousand one hundred pounds states size of diamonds as 1 x 0.40 carat, 2 x 0.25 carats, total weight approximately 0.85 carat, pique, metal testing as 18 carat gold.
Lot 182
A Collection of Eleven Books Relating to Egypt and the Middle East to Include 1903 Edition of Guide to Palestine and Egypt, The Wonderland of Egypt by Percy R. Salmon, Glubb's Legion by G Lias, A First Edition of Aden to Hadhramaut by D. van Der Meulen, 1946 Edition of Arabia and the Isles by Harold Ingrams, A 1959 Edition of Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger, A 1894 Edition of Among the Holy Places by Rev. James Kean, A 1966 Edition of The Pirates of Trucial Oman by h. Moyse-Bartlett, Bonaparte: Governor of Egypt by Charles-Roux, A 1969 Edition of East and West of Suez by Farnie etc
Lot 620
Dated 1731 AD. A gold finger ring, from early in the reign of George II (1727-1760 AD), with reserved, elongated skeleton and skull-and-crossed-bones motifs on a black enamelled field, inscribed in italic script, infilled in black enamel, to the inner face ''R Dunn ob 28 Jan 1731 aet 46' (for R. Dunn who died on 28 January 1731, aged 46 years"). [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] 9.32 grams, 24mm overall, 19.10mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20.0, Japan 19) (1"). Property of a Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman; previously in an old jewellery collection. Extremely fine condition, fully enamelled. A large wearable ring.
Lot 121
2nd century AD. A silver plate brooch depicting a triumphant gladiator attacking a fallen opponent on a hatched base line, sprung pin and catch to the reverse. See Heynowski, R. Bestimmungsbuch Archaeologie: Fibeln, Munich, 2012. 18 grams, 36mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London collector; acquired on the London market, 1990s-2000s. Very fine condition.
Lot 126
2nd-3rd century AD. A carved marble head of a youthful male with long tousled hair; the eyes deep-set and staring, mouth slightly open; right hand gripping the hair from behind above the right ear; mounted on a custom-made stand. 4.1 kg, 32cm including stand (12 1/2"). Property of a UK gentleman; acquired from the family collection of Mr Z.K.; accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate; supplied with geologic report No. TL005201, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Fine condition.
Lot 576
1250-1350 AD. A magnificent and important gold finger ring, the plain hoop of rounded D-section with baluster shoulders showing diagonal raised line ornament and combed bar at junction with the broad octagonal 'pie' collet cell closed bezel, containing a polished octagonal garnet of superb quality, size and colour, with cabochon finish. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Cf. Oman, C. C., Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Rings 1930, V&A, reprinted 1993, no.259 and others for similar rings; cf. Dalton, O. M., Catalogue of the Finger Rings, BM, 1912, no.1743 (in silver); cf. Cessford, C. and Newman, R., The Dolphin Inn Hoard, Archaeological Journal 168, 2011, p.278 for five rings of generally similar form from this hoard found 1817 in Cambridge and dated to circa 1247-1279 AD, accompanied by a copy of the academic paper. See Portable Antiquities Scheme, reference YORYM-CD0BFB (this ring); see Hawleys Auctioneers Ltd sale catalogue, Beverley Racecourse, 21 September 2008, lot 179 (this ring; illustrated"). 9.64 grams, 26.07mm overall, 19.07mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17) (1"). Property of an East Yorkshire private collector; acquired Hawleys, Beverley Racecourse, 21 September 2008, lot 179; found in Kingswood area, Hull, UK, in the early 1990s; shown to Hull Museum and subsequently identified as 14th century by the British Museum circa 2006; again shown to Hull Museum in 2008; recorded with PAS, York Museum Trust, York Castle Museum under reference number E05308 and the Coroner for the City of Kingston upon Hull in 2017; deemed not to be treasure under the Treasure Act 1996; accompanied by copies of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number YORYM-CD0BFB, York Museums Trust record form, the Hawleys auction catalogue, and geologic report No. TL005213, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Kingswood is an area of generally low-lying land close to Kingston-upon-Hull, much of it now developed in modern times for housing. In the medieval period, from 1293 AD when Edward I took possession of the settlement at Wyke (it took its present day name by Royal charter in 1299 AD) and surrounding area, Kingswood was a place having a mixture of marsh and wooded land with habitation thinly scattered on small areas of higher ground; a mill on the riverbank was built by the monks of Meaux Abbey in the 13th century AD. With most of this land being unsuitable for agriculture, it is quite likely that, with it also not being adequately drained and subject to sea flooding (the Forthdyk/Foredike was cut in the 13th century AD), that the king might well have reserved the area for hunting. Open marshland would have provided an excellent resource and venue for falconry, hunting wild and waterfowl of all kinds; the wooded areas would have sheltered deer, wild boar and other animals. It is said (as published in the 1817 Guide to Hull, by J C Craggs) that King Edward I, in the company of a hunting party in the area, ended up at the then settlement of Wyke on the banks of the river Hull and, seeing the potential for a port both to defend against foreign invasion and to facilitate trade, soon after acquired it from Meaux Abbey. This ring is of superb quality and would have been the property of a very eminent gentleman; certainly nobility or possibly even of Royal blood. The dating is contemporary with the likely visits to the area of Edward I and, with the reference to the king hunting locally, it could well have been lost by a companion of the king during such a hunt. The ring is also unusual in having a garnet so carefully and skilfully shaped; unlike many of the period where simple cabochon or irregular shapes are seen. Very fine condition. A large wearable size. Extremely rare.
Lot 618
Circa 1600 AD. A spectacular late Elizabethan (or early Jacobean) gold ring of the Harvey family of Launceston comprising a flat discoid bezel with beading below the rim and band of radiating billets to the face, trefoil interlace motif above and between the initials with floret finials, pointillé detailing; initials 'HW' with neat serifs and 'V' or inverted chevron below, the 'W' formed as two intersecting 'V's; the shoulders with reserved acanthus-leaf ornament; slender D-section hoop. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] The Portable Antiquities Scheme record notes: There is a reference in Hutchins, J. The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, (p.574) to the Harvey family which owned the manor of Tarrant Launceston, one of whom was named William and was aged 21 in 1623. It is possible that this is a personal seal ring belonging to William Harvey. 11.64 grams, 22mm overall, 19.08mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 9, Europe 19.69, Japan 19) (1"). Found Launceston, UK, Saturday 3rd May 2014; disclaimed as Treasure by the Crown under Treasure reference number 2014 T520; accompanied by a copy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number DOR-2334D9, and a copy of the Harvey family of Tarrent Launceston family tree and pedigree. The Harvey family (also spelt Harvye or Harvy) were important landholders in Tarrant Launceston in the River Tarrant valley area of Dorset. There are a few possibilities for identification of the ring's owner with initials 'WH' since the type is datable to the later Elizabethan period around 1600 AD, but might have been inscribed a little later. The parish records for Tarrant Monkton (for which Tarrant Launceston was a chapel of ease) show a man named William Harvey buried there in 1590 and his wife, Rebecca, in 1593. The William Harvey who probably owned the ring was born around 1602 (being 21 years old in 1623) and was probably the son (or nephew?) of the earlier William. The Harvey family continued to dwell in the area, and a second William Harvey is indicated when his daughter, Hester, died in 1712; a third William was baptised in 1730. Very fine condition. A large wearable size.
Lot 9
Saite Period, 26th Dynasty, 664-525 BC. A substantial carved rhyolite kohl jar formed as a figure of Bes standing nude with the hands resting on the stomach and hips, beard arranged in curled hanks with the chin shaven, rectangular base and cap with central hole. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] 242 grams, 11cm (4 1/4"). Acquired by the current owner in 2000 from Mrs C.W. an old French private collection formed since the early 1980s, supplied with geologic report No. TL005220, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Dr Bonewitz notes: 'An exceptionally fine job of carving in a hard material.' Fine condition.
Lot 451
Mid 3rd century AD. An iron short dagger or pugio of the 'Kunzing Type' according to the classification of Bishop & Coulston, 2006, p.164, with double-edged blade complete with characteristically leaf-shaped with pronounced waist and longitudinal rib, which is typical of this category; the sides are parallel, the iron grip originally would have been covered with bone or ivory, having inverted T-shaped grip plates with crescentic pommel. See Bishop, M. C. – Coulston, J.C.N., Roman military equipment, from the Punic wars to the fall of Rome, London,1993; Kennedy, D., The twin towns of Zeugma on the Euphrates, Portsmouth, 1998; Ba?gelen N.-Ergeç R., Belkis/Zeugma, Halfeti, Rumkale, a last look at history, Istanbul, 2000; Bishop M. C. & Coulston J.C.N., Roman military equipment from the Punic Wars to the fall of Rome, London, 2006; Feugère, M., ‘Roman militaria from Zeugma’, in Ergeç, R. (Editor), International Symposium on Zeugma: from Past to Future, Gaziantep: 2006, 91-96; Ibañez, F.C. ‘Post Vestigium Exercitus. Militaria romana en la región septentrional de la Península Ibérica durante la época Altoimperial’, in Morillo A. (ed.), Actas del II Congreso de Arqueología Miltar Romana en Hispania. Universidad de León-Ayuntamiento de León: León 2006, 257-308; Casprini F., Saliola M., Pugio gladius brevis est, storia e tecnologia del pugnale da guerra romano, Roma, 2012. 247 grams, 37cm (14 1/2"). Property of a Suffolk collector; formerly acquired on the European art market in the 1990s. The Pugio appears as side weapon of the Roman legionary already during the 2nd century BC, probably adopted from the Iberians. However its full diffusion inside the Roman Army begins with Caesar but especially with Augustus, where it appears as the reserve weapon of the heavy infantryman. Usually worn on the left side of the body by the Milites Legionarii and on the right side from not commissioned officers and Centurions, was used as a lethal weapon in the body to body combat, being considered as a short sword (pugio gladius brevis est"). Its continued employment during the 3rd century is demonstrated by the many finds of similar type in Britannia (England), Syria, Germania (Germany), Pannonia (Hungary, part of modern Austria and Croatia) and in the most imperial provinces. Fine condition, holes to one side of hilt.
Lot 71
2nd-3rd century AD. A pendant comprising a plano-convex banded agate panel in a gold frame with beaded rim and panels of granulation, loop above and bell-shaped granulated gold pendant. 24.3 grams, 64mm (2 1/2"). From an old Tokyo collection; previously the property of a Japanese gentleman since the late 1970s, supplied with geologic report No. TL005219, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
Lot 619
16th century AD. A D-section gold hoop with expanding shoulders, discoid bezel with beaded border, initials 'I E' over a looped entwined ribbon with a tassel to each end. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] 5.18 grams, 21.4mm overall, 19.07mm internal diameter (approximate size British R, USA 8 1/2, Europe 18.75, Japan 18) (3/4"). Ex Reverend Dyer collection; Leicestershire, UK; previously found Cambridgeshire, UK, and recorded with the British Museum in the 1980s. Very fine condition. A large wearable size.
Lot 529
6th century AD. A gold finger ring comprising a broad hoop with three beaded fillets to the outer face, arcaded architectural model to the bezel with granule detailing, pyramidal roof, square cell with inset garnet cloison. Cf. Hadjadj, R. Bagues Merovingiennes - Gaul du Nord, Paris, 2007, item 393 (Grez-Doiceau"). 7.56 grams, 35mm overall, 20.42mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.99, Japan 23) (1 1/2"). Property of a London collector, acquired early 1990s. Fine condition. A large wearable size.
Lot 450
Mid 3rd century AD. A good condition iron short dagger or pugio of the 'Kunzing Type' according to the classification of Bishop & Coulston, 2006, p. 164, with double-edged blade complete with scabbard in iron sheath, the blade characteristically leaf-shaped with pronounced waist and a double longitudinal channel defining a rib, which is typical of this category; the sides are parallel, the iron grip originally would have been covered with bone or ivory, having inverted T-shaped grip plates with crescentic pommel; the iron sheath with punched decoration presents a mouth, medial plate and chape to the outer face; in this specimen the suspension rings used to wear the scabbard by attachment to the waist belt or to the baldric (cingulum and balteus) are exceptionally well preserved, and they are fastened by rivets to the mouth and medial plates. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] See Bishop, M. C. – Coulston, J.C.N., Roman military equipment, from the Punic wars to the fall of Rome, London,1993; Kennedy, D., The twin towns of Zeugma on the Euphrates, Portsmouth, 1998; Ba?gelen N.-Ergeç R., Belkis/Zeugma, Halfeti, Rumkale, a last look at history, Istanbul, 2000; Bishop M. C. & Coulston J.C.N., Roman military equipment from the Punic Wars to the fall of Rome, London, 2006; Feugère, M., ‘Roman militaria from Zeugma’, in Ergeç, R. (Editor), International Symposium on Zeugma: from Past to Future, Gaziantep: 2006, 91-96; Ibañez, F.C. ‘Post Vestigium Exercitus. Militaria romana en la región septentrional de la Península Ibérica durante la época Altoimperial’, in Morillo A. (ed.), Actas del II Congreso de Arqueología Miltar Romana en Hispania. Universidad de León-Ayuntamiento de León: León 2006, 257-308; Casprini F., Saliola M., Pugio gladius brevis est, storia e tecnologia del pugnale da guerra romano, Roma, 2012. 480 grams total, dagger: 34.5cm, scabbard: 25.5cm (13 5/8, 10"). Property of a Suffolk collector since the 1990s; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This dagger finds a good parallel with a similar item found in London (Bishop & Coulston, 2006, p.165, fig.104,1), found in Copthall Court, which has 8cm wide and 30cm long blade. The Pugio appears as side weapon of the Roman legionary already during the 2nd century BC, probably adopted from the Iberians. However its full diffusion inside the Roman Army begins with Caesar but especially with Augustus, where it appears as the reserve weapon of the heavy infantryman. Usually worn on the left side of the body by the Milites Legionarii and on the right side from not commissioned officers and Centurions, was used as a lethal weapon in the body to body combat, being considered as a short sword (pugio gladius brevis est"). Its continued employment during the 3rd century is demonstrated by the many finds of similar type in Britannia (England), Syria, Germania (Germany), Pannonia (Hungary, part of modern Austria and Croatia) and in the most imperial provinces. In Kunzing not less than 51 blades and 29 sheaths of such weapons were found. Double-edged daggers of old pugio fashion are in particular archaeologically attested for the 3rd century AD, from Zeugma (Ba?gelen-Ergeç, 2000, p.22; Feugère, 2006, p.92; these iron specimens belonged to the soldiers of the IIII Legio Scytica here stationed; they were found in the 1992 excavation of the Dyonisos and Ariadne houses in chantier 12; s. Feugère, 2006, p. 92 and Kennedy, 1998, p.135, fig.5.9 p.89;) Dura (Bishop-Coulston, 2006, p.164;), Sotopalacios and Iuliobriga (Ibá?ez, 2006, pp.294 ff), London and other localities of Rhine and Germany (Kunzing, Eining, Speyer, s. Bishop-Coulston, 1993, fig.95.1 - London- ; Coulston-Bishop, 2006, fig.104, 4-5: Eining, 6: Speyer, Balkans and Danubian Limes. Our specimen is coming from a military outpost, probably from Britannia. The piece is in very good state of preservation, complete with scabbard. These daggers had usually a length of 28 cm, reaching a maximum size (scabbard included) of 40 cm. Some blades can be pattern-welded, whilst others had full organic grip assemblage. The presence of attachment rings on the scabbard was, according to Bishop & Coulston, a conservative feature, retained for the daggers long after that the ring suspension has been dismissed for the most of the sword's scabbards. 3rd century AD blades are usually longer and proportionally wider in comparison with the blades of the 1st - 2nd century. Casprini and Saliola (2012, pp.22-23) have evidenced the main differences between these pugiones and the earlier ones: with bigger dimension of the blade, expansion of the leaf-shaped shape, stronger central rib (when present), straight shoulder, flat tang, bigger guard of C typology, and bilobate pommel. The scabbards of these daggers were often only decorated with a simple punched decoration provided in front of the sheath, while the main body was fitted with wood slats covered by leather, but elaborated decorated scabbards also existed. Dagger scabbard plates in copper alloy from Dura, were identified by M. Bishop, finding a parallel with scabbard plates elements of daggers from Kastell Kapersburg, Zugamantel, Kastell Feldberg and Thamusida in Mauretania. These daggers were used both from Legionaries and Praetorians, these latter being usually more decorated. According to Herodian, when Septimius Severus gathered the Praetorians, he deprived them of the decorated daggers in addition to their belts. Very fine condition. Very rare with scabbard intact.
Lot 577
12th-13th century AD. A gold finger ring comprising a round-section hoop, ellipsoid pie-dish bezel with claw setting, inset star sapphire cabochon. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Cf. Chadour, A.B. Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 562. 8.96 grams, 31mm overall, 19.38mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16) (1 1/4"). Property of a central London collector; acquired from a large private collection formed in the 1980s; supplied with geologic report No. TL005232, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Very fine condition. A large wearable size.
Lot 197
6th century AD. A marble sarcophagus-shaped casket from the period of Justinian the Great, rectangular in plan with pitched-roof lid; the contoured body with rosette within a wreath to each short side, expanding-arm cross within a wreath to one long side and to the other long side a D-shaped trough with arcaded outer face flanked by opposed peacocks and with a scallop above forming a spout; the plain interior with corresponding outlet hole; the lid with scrolled up stand to each corner, expanding-arm cross to each short side, similar motif in a wreath to one long side and to the other the image of the Divine Lamb (Agnus Dei) within a wreath; apex of the roof flat with central hole to accept strongly scented offerings of oils which was the method of interaction with the precious relic; the holes inside the wreaths were originally inserted with precious stones. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] See Grabar, A. L'età d'oro di Giustiniano, Milano, 1966; Hahn C. (ed.), Objects of devotion and desire, medieval relic to contemporary art, Januar 27-April 30, 2011, catalogue of the exhibition at the he Bertha and Karl Lebsdorf Art Gallery, Hunter College, New York, 2011; Various, Byzanz Pracht und Alltag, Kunst und Austellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn 26.Februar bis 13.Juni 2010, Mainz; and cf. The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 1978.273a,b and 49.69.2a,b for similar shaped caskets with offering apertures to the top. Such object of devotions began to be common from 4th century AD, when the Roman Empire slowly underwent its transformation in a Christian Empire, beginning with the Edict of tolerance towards all the Religions (included the Christian one) of Constantine and Licinius in 313 AD and ending with the proclamation of the Christianity as official religion of the Roman State, with Theodosius, in 380 AD. Since then the Roman Empire was a Christian one, with its Eastern Capital, Constantinople (the city of Constantine) or Nea Romi (New Rome) born as Christian city, and remaining such until its fall to the Turks in 1453 AD, except for the short period of Julian II (361-363 AD"). Many simpler similar reliquaries are preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, generically dated to a large period between 400-600 AD. A similar reliquary, although less decorated, is preserved at the Israel Museum. Our reliquary can be dated with a major precision. It shows decorations and characters typical of the Age of Justinian the Great (527-565 AD"). The exquisite facture of the work points to Asiatic workshops of the Empire, in particular Ephesus or the same Chief City, Byzantium. The style of the crosses is the same of the cross held by the victorious Christ in the so-called Barberini ivory, today preserved at the Louvre Museum (Grabar, 1966, p.279, fig.319), with all probability realised at Constantinople in the first half of 6th century AD. The holes in the wreaths were inserted with precious stones, like those of the wreath the Diptych of Saint Lupicin in Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris, also an artwork realised in Constantinople in 6th century. Two similar reliquaries, today in the Römisch-Germanisches Museum of Köln (Byzanz, 2010, pp.230-231), dated at the 6th century, were instead realized in Syria, one of the most rich provinces of the Empire before of its lost to the Arabs after the battle of Yarmouk in 636 AD. 16.3 kg, 30cm (12"). Property of a central London gentleman; previously with a London, Mayfair, gallery in the early 1990s, accompanied by an academic report by specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato and a geologic report No. TL005222, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. This casket is in excellent condition and the refinement of execution is very rare. In many churches, the sacred relics were the focus of the liturgical rites and cultic processions. The relics were bones, bits of clothing, or fragments of objects that had belonged to a saint or holy person, which were kept in special boxes called reliquaries. In Khirbet Beth Sila, north of Jerusalem, a small reliquary was found containing a long strand of hair. The gabled stone sarcophagi used for Christian burial were the model for miniature copies, like the one seen here, that were manufactured throughout the Roman Empire as containers for relics or objects made holy by physical contact with them. Beginning in the fourth century, the bodies of martyrs and saints were exhumed, divided, and moved to local churches, where they were placed in reliquaries that were enclosed within altars or buried under them or displayed in chapels dedicated to the Saint. The reliquaries were placed beneath the main altar, within a depression in the floor, and sometimes also kept in the rooms alongside the apse or in the side apses, called for this reason martyria. The reliquaries served to the Pilgrims and devotes for the collecting of the holy Oil, the Myron. They were sealed, probably with lead, and the only way to interact with the precious relic kept inside was the opening at the top of the reliquary, where strongly scented offerings of oil could be poured inside the small sarcophagus. Once the oil had been poured through the upper aperture it passed over the enclosed relic and would have been collected in pilgrim flasks from the source on the side, thus creating holy oil. This is the reason why some of the reliquaries, like our specimen, have an additional hole in one of the sides, to make it easier to remove the sanctified oil. These holes were sometimes, like here, equipped with spouts, usually made of metal. The devoted honoured the reliquary with the most precious oil in the hope they would be rewarded with protection and healing. Alternatively, the holes in the lid of such sarcophagi-shaped reliquary, as seen in our specimen, allowed the faithful to insert cloth attached to narrow rods into the reliquary in order to absorb the power of the relic through contact. Very fine condition, minor wear. Extremely rare.
Lot 120
2nd-3rd century AD. A silver plate brooch formed as a whorl of four La Tène double trumpets with central void and outer ring, hinged pin to the reverse. Cf. Hattatt, R. Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts, Oxford, 1989, item 1624 for type. 19 grams, 45mm (1 3/4"). Ex North London gentleman; formerly in a private collection formed between 1990 and 2000. Very fine condition.
Lot 400
19th century AD. A silver ellipsoid pendant with openwork reverse, central inset facetted 11 carat emerald with eight inset diamonds on the chamfered rim and a ninth on the suspension loop; with a delicate suspension chain. 8.37 grams, pendant: 34mm, chain 43cm (17"). From the family collection of a Hampstead gentleman; formerly acquired in the 1980s; supplied with geologic report No. TL005221, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Very fine condition.
Lot 449
Late 2nd century AD-early 3rd century AD. Another 'hauntingly unforgettable work of art', with distinct artistic parallels to the famous Crosby Garrett helmet found in Cumbria in 2010; a bronze sports helmet mask of the exceptionally rare Mater Castrorum or female type, showing the head of an Amazon warrior or goddess with locks of wavy hair, topped with a tutulus hairstyle, diadems, garlands and other jewellery; the garland-diadem has a central knot with two hanging curls and is decorated with X-patterns inscribed inside rectangles; this mask was removable, being capable of being taken off at any time, proving that this type of helmet could be used not only during parades and other ceremonies, but also in combat. Property of a London collector; previously in the Craddock collection having been acquired from a London gallery in 2006; formerly in the Brian Grover collection of Surrey since acquisition in York in the 1970s; formerly in the collection of Peter Minns; believed originally from Northern England; accompanied by a copy of a signed acquisition and provenance declaration/receipt dated 23 May 2005; a sales invoice to A. L. Craddock from 2006; a metallurgic analytical report, written by Metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, report number 609/131084; an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato who will be making a presentation on this helmet at our reception on 2nd September 2019; and a report by the conservation specialist who restored the helmet, discussing the similarities of style and workmanship to the 'Crosby Garrett' helmet, which concludes that it is likely made by the same craftsman, or at least from the same workshop; accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate no. S00149981. Published: Illustrated on the front page of Antiques Trade Gazette, 31 August 2019, Roman mask leads antiquities parade, with further editorial on pages 32 & 33 entitled Mask 'matches Crosby Garrett find'. 580 grams, 26 x 24 cm without stand (10 1/4 x 9 1/2"). See Robinson, R., The Armour of Imperial Rome, New York, 1975; Garbsch, J., Römische Paraderustüngen, München, 1979; James, S., Excavations at Dura Europos 1928-1937, Final Report VII, The Arms and Armour and other military equipment, London, 2004; D'Amato R., A.Negin, Decorated Roman Armour, London, 2017. The two most evident samples resembling our specimen are the mask of Nola, today at the British Museum, and the mask of the Paul Getty Museum (D'Amato-Negin, 2017, p.220, fig.255 letters d-e). Maybe, as the facial mask from Nola, our mask depicts a goddess, Minerva or Victoria or Diana. This goddess is well suited to being depicted on protective arms since, unlike Mars, who loved blood, war and violence in any form, Minerva represented sacred defensive war and was the goddess of defence, symbolising the protection and patronage granted to the soldier. The stylistic type of the mask suggests that it is from the same school who made the masks of Nola (Italy?) and of the Paul Getty Museum (Syria or Egypt?). The similarity with the latter is astonishing, and like in the one of the Getty, the empty spaces of the diadem were probably originally encrusted with precious stones. This mask helmet belongs to the category of Roman mask helmets usually employed in the sportive games, acting also as military training, of the so called Hyppika Gymnasia described by Arrian of Nicomedia in his Taktika, written down during the age of the Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). The finds of two opposed ‘male’ and ‘female’ kind of masks in the military camp of Straubing, together with items of arms and equipment of opposing teams which performed a theatrical cavalry tournament, allowed to understand that the two groups performed, in their exercises, the mythical fight amongst Greeks and Amazons. This theatrical Amazonomachy was popular among Roman soldiers as evidenced by the fact that it is depicted on one of the three oval shields of the third century AD from Dura Europos (James, 2004, pl.VII). The representation of an Amazonomachy scene was not only a tribute to mythological tradition. In warfare, time after time the Romans encountered women fighting against them: Flavius Vopiscus wrote that women dressed in male attire (apparently, Sarmatian women warriors) used to fight against the Romans on the side of the Goths even in the late third century AD (Scriptores Historia Augusta, Divus Aurelianus, XXXIV, 1). Therefore, the imitation of confrontation with these militant women might be quite popular for theatrical cavalry tournaments, as well as for the visualisation of mythological scenes (D'Amato-Negin, 2017, p.213). A. Negin, however, was able to individuate three different types of such female masks used in such tournaments and probably also on the battlefield: the ‘Amazon’ type, the ’Mater Castrorum’ type, and the ‘Medusa’ type. Our specimen belongs to the Mater Castrorum type. E. Künzl (2008, pp.115-117) noted the similarity of some masks with images of soldiers’ empresses of the third century AD and suggested their relationship with the cult of mater castrorum (mother of the camp). It is commonly known that, besides civilian titles, an empress received this honorary title for her participation in military campaigns, like Faustina the Younger or Julia Domna (D'Amato-Negin, 2017, p.222). Examples in this group of masks date from the second half of the second to the first half of the third centuries AD. It was not necessary to make an exact copy of the portrait of a woman of the imperial family, it was sufficient to have a few distinguishing features on an item and achieve a general resemblance. According to J. Oliver, celebrations in the calends of January (Kalendae Ianuariae), as marked in the military calendar from Dura-europos (Feriale Duranum), namely 1 January, were intended to honour and bring sacrifices to the mother patroness of the military camp (mater castrorum). Negin assumed that during the solemn and theatrical ceremonies, masks of this type could be worn by the celebrant representing the divine patroness of military camps and performing games in cavalry tournaments. The relationship, at least, of a number of female masks to the cult of mater castrorum partly explains the fact that Arrian in his treatise on cavalry tournaments mentioned nothing about masks depicting female faces, as Faustina the Younger was awarded this title forty years after this source had been written. Putting on the attributes of a different gender identity, male soldiers impersonated women both in theatrical performances of Amazonomachy and in ceremonies honouring the ‘mother of the camp’. Very fine condition, an exceptional survival from Roman Britain. Excessively rare. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]
Lot 437
1st millennium BC. A strongly convex bronze shield, cast and hammered, the surface shows a decoration in repoussé ornamented with twelve concentric bands; beginning from the centre, a possible star motive is followed by dots and circles, waves and small triangles in relief; after a line of dot-punched outlines the same embossed geometric motives with circles, waves and triangles are repeated three times; after it a concentric pearled band divided in three lines is arranged along the edge circumference; there are no traces on the flat edge of holes for the fixing of the leather (or other organic material) lining, which was therefore attached with animal glue and not by sewing; a central hole was probably destined to attach a pointed boss, usually of conoid shape; two similar round bronze shields - datable to the 11th century BC, were part of the famous collection of Axel Guttmann (Christie's 2004, pp.28-29); one of them shows the same decorative pattern on the rim, and the small triangles in relief. Ettinghausen, R., 7000 years of Iranian Art, Washington, 1964-1965; Dalley S.M. – Postgate, J.N., Tablets from Fort Shalmaneser, (Cuneiform Texts from Nimrud, 3), Oxford, 1984; Born H., ‘Herstellung und Gebrauch bronzener Rundschilde aus Nordwest-Iran, in Acta Praehistorica et Archaeologica 20, 1988; Christie's, The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 2004; Dezs? T., The Assyrian Army, I, the structure of the neo Assyrian Army; 2. Cavalry and Chariotry, Budapest, 2012. 61.5cm (24 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from his father's collection; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, and a positive metallurgic analytical report, written by metallurgist Dr. Brian Gilmour of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, report number 600/131392. This bronze shield finds a good parallel also in a half preserved specimen from North-West Iran of the ex-collection Axel Guttmann (AG 370 / R 79, acquired in Freiburg in 1991"). These kind of shields were used in Luristan and neighbouring cultures (Elamites, Zagros Tribesmen, like Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Kassites), as well as from Urartu, West-Iranian and Northern Caucasian civilizations around the Caspian Sea. Such shields were the forerunners of those worn by the Assyrian Warriors as well, especially from the chariots. Two texts of the Nimrud Horse Lists mention relatively large numbers of bronze shields belonging to chariots as standard parts (Dalley–Postgate 1984, no. 96, 4, 9, 21; no. 97, 6"). These shields were probably the shields hanging on the backs of the chariots depicted by many sculptures and were used by the ‘third men’ of the chariots to defend the other members of the crew on campaigns. This costume was probably inherited from the Assyrians from the cultures of their enemies, or in any case a war costume practised in all Caucasus and Near East. Always among the warlike Assyrians, the royal chariot and the regular chariots were manned by a crew of three: the driver, the warrior/king, and the ‘third man,’ who was equipped with two large rounded bronze shields which were plain or were decorated by rosettes and geometric motifs arranged in concentric circles, like our specimen (p.156"). Fine condition, restored. Rare.
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