8th century AD. A gilt-bronze box brooch formed as a hollow drum-shaped casting with ornament to the obverse and sidewall; the high-relief designs comprising three radiating panels of Oseberg Style 'gripping-beast' motifs with a dome at the centre and three to the beaded border; the slightly sloping sidewall with four panels of S-shaped animals with interlaced tendrils, separated by beaded borders; to the reverse, the perimeter flange supported by two integral blocks supporting the catchplate and pin-hole respectively, the latter damaged and replaced by a second offset hole. Property of a UK collector; formerly in a European collection, acquired 1980s. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Cf. MacGregor, A. et al. A Summary Catalogue of the Continental Archaeological Collections, Oxford, 1997, item 1.1. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. Stylistically this is a very early type of box brooch, with a lower and flatter profile than the examples from the Viking age (9th-11th century AD"). 43 grams, 49mm (2"). Fine condition. Rare.
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10th century AD. A bronze bow brooch with hollow conical bow and symmetrical arms; the bow with central stud and geometric pattern on arms ending in lozenge shaped terminals. Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. Cf. Arbman, H. Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, plate 98, items 3-5. 30 grams, 76mm (3"). Very fine condition. Rare.
8th-9th century AD. A Viking or Carolingian lozengiform plate brooch with integral coiled spring, pin and catch; the surface with median line of punched ring-and-dot motifs flanked by opposed pellet-in-triangle motifs and further pellets in the field; the pin twisted about its own axis to provide grip. Property of a UK collector; formerly in a Cambridgeshire collection, acquired 1990s. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Cf. Hammond, B. British Artefacts vol.2 - Middle Saxon & Viking, Witham, 2010, p.44-45. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. The style of decoration on this brooch is the same found on a number of Thor's Hammer pendants, such as a gold example found in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and another from a hoard found at Vaalse, in Falster, Denmark. It is believed that the decoration is meant to depict miniature axes or hammers, and are related to the cult of Thor and provided protection to the wearer. 5.48 grams, 39mm (1 1/2"). Extremely fine condition. Rare.
900-950 AD. A silver openwork discoid pendant with integral T-shaped tubular loop; raised gussetted rim enclosing a pair of S-shaped beasts with billetted bodies and comma-shaped tails, enmeshed gripping paws clutching the rim and their own bodies. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Cf. Graham-Campbell, J. Viking Art, London, 2013, item 98; Korshun, V.E. Yazcheskye Priveski Drevnei Rusi X-XIV Vekov, Volume III, Moscow, 2013, items K.6.00-6.02. Despite the long period of overlap of Borre and Jellinge art styles, there are only few examples of their fusion. The principal and most popular motif of the Borre style displays an animal with gripping paws, usually enmeshed in a circular frame, while a typical Jellinge style beast is more slender with long, S-shaped body and ribbon decoration. The most famous example of a pendant featuring a fusion of these styles was found in a hoard from Vårby (Sweden), formed as a circle with a pair of Jellinge-style beasts with ribbon-shaped bodies in profile and heads with open jaws and extended tongues; however, each is provided with gripping paws and an enmeshed body, which are typical features of the Borre style. A few examples of these pendants were also found near the important trading settlement of Gnezdovo, near Smolensk, Russia. 16 grams, 43mm (1 3/4"). Extremely fine condition. Excessively rare.
8th-11th century AD. A bronze pendant depicting a horse with traces of green enamel decoration on the body, on the back a large head facing forward with lentoid eyes and suspension loop to the top. Found Winteringham, Humberside, UK, 2011. In Norse belief Valhalla, meaning Hall of the Slain, was a huge hall in Asgard which was ruled over by Odin. It was here that dead warriors were led by the Valkyries to join the masses of those who have died in combat and are known as Einherjar. It is in Valhalla that various legendary Germanic heroes and kings live, and together with the dead warriors they prepare to aid Odin during the events of Ragnarök.This pendant is a rare depiction of a slain warrior being taken to Valhalla, depictions of this sort are normally found on rune stones such as the Tjängvide stone from Gotland. 3 grams, 27mm (1"). Fair condition.
9th-12th century AD. A carved stone pebble with detailed bearded face, arms clasped at the chest, hatched tunic, braided hair to the reverse and patterned belt. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, table LXXXII, item 3. 5.14 grams, 34mm (1 1/2"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare.
9th-11th century AD. A gold pendant with coiled filigree conical bottom, flat-section wall and filigree handle, ornamented with granulation and filigree detailing. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Cf. Meaney, A. Anglo-saxon Amulets and Curing Stones, Oxford, BAR British Series 96, 1981, p. 166-168. Pendants in the form of miniature buckets have been found in a number of pagan Anglo-Saxon and Viking contexts and are generally made of bronze or iron, with gold examples being rare; three gold examples were found with the hoard from Hoen, Norway. Bronze bucket amulets have been found at Driffield in Yorkshire, and Vimose bog in Denmark, among other places. In form they represent wooden buckets bound with bronze or iron bands which have been found in Anglo-Saxon and Viking graves and are believed to have held mead or ale and were used to replenish the cups from which warriors drank. As amulets they probably represent the ecstatic power of alcoholic drink and the role of women as the dispensers of these precious beverages. 2.55 grams, 16mm (3/4"). [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
9th-11th century AD. A silver scutiform pendant with ribbed suspension loop above; body decorated with a central boss and stamped triangles forming a sun burst pattern. Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. 3.38 grams, 44mm (1 3/4"). [No Reserve] Very fine condition. Very rare.
9th-11th century AD. A triangular bronze matrix mould with pouring channels, two domed rosette plaques with billeted borders. From an old Munich collection; acquired on the German art market before 2000. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate VII, item 21. 37 grams, 46mm (1 3/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare.
9th-12th century AD. A bronze mould for a pelta-shaped pendant with pointillé pattern, transverse slot to accept a pin. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate VII, item 21. Axe pendants are associated with Thor as a variant on the hammer pendants, but are more commonly seen as the symbol of the Slavic god Perun who had a major shrine on the peninsula of Peryn near Veliky Novgorod, Russia. 20 grams, 46mm (1 3/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare.
9th-12th century AD. A bronze square matrix mould with pouring channel to the upper edge, transverse channel to accept a pin to create the suspension hole; double-loop motif with raised panels. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, plate VII, items 16, 21 and plate XCVII, item 53. 37 grams, 33mm (1 1/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare.
13th-14th century AD. A broad D-section gold hoop with triangular plaque, inset pyramidal diamond to the apex, important in that the diamond set within it exhibits the very earliest form of diamond cutting, the polishing of the natural faces of the octahedral diamond crystal, this is uncommon in rings of this age which are usually set with unpolished crystals, and therefore this diamond will be among the earliest ever cut. Property of a Suffolk lady; formerly in the Deago collection, by descent from the vendor's mother. Cf. Hinton, D. Medieval Jewellery, Aylesbury, 1982, items 15, 16. This lot is accompanied by a copy of Richard Falkiner's 1972 article The Early History of the Diamond which deals with the setting of diamonds from a historical perspective. The first literary reference to diamonds occurs in the works of the Roman author Marcus Manilius (fl. 1st century AD) and his contemporary Pliny who describes a probable diamond as 'the most valuable of gems, known only to kings'. This daimond shows the earliest form of diamond cutting: polishing the faces of a natural crystal. Diamonds naturally form octahedral crystals and medieval diamond 'cutting' consisted solely of polishing the natural pyramidal faces, as in this stone. The stone was introduced to the Roman world from India, and the Latin name adamas arrived in English from that source, giving rise to such medieval variants as 'adamant', 'diamaunt' and 'diamant'. The Latin term was itself derived from Greek for 'unconquerable', relating to the stone's hardness. This quality caused problems for the artificial shaping of the stone, and medieval jewellers were content to take octahedral diamond crystals and place them in purpose-made settings. Truncated forms of octahedron were created by skilful splitting, and in the 15th century the practice developed of cutting the stone with pulverised fragments and diamond dust. This skill was especially associated with the court of the Dukes of Burgundy; Gilbert of Metz mentions La Courarie, the diamond-cutters' quarter of Paris, in his description of that city in 1407. An appreciation of diamond's special refractive qualities led to the development of the customary 'rose cut' in the later 16th century. Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661) is associated with the development of this style. The modern 'brilliant cut' was devised by the Venetian Vicenzo Peruzzi around 1700, and remains largely unchanged to this day. 6.25 grams, 27mm overall, 19.08mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 9, Europe 19.69, Japan 19) (1"). Very fine condition. A wearable size. Extremely rare.
14th-15th century AD. A flat-section pewter badge of a hunting horn with suspension rope, part absent, and hatched panels to the body; pin and plate to the reverse. Found on the Thames foreshore, in the 1980s. Cf. Webb, D. Pilgrimage in Medieval England, London, 2000, p.81. A church dedicated to St. Hubert stands at Idsworth on the Sussex / Hampshire border. 0.98 grams, 21mm (3/4"). Fine condition. Rare.
10th-12th century AD. A flat-section bronze discoid pendant with integral lug above, notched border, enamelled figure of St Peter facing with book under the left arm; to the reverse, an enamelled monogram associated with the Rurikid dynasty of Kiev. Property of a German collector; acquired in the 1990s. 7.91 grams, 29mm (1 1/4"). [No Reserve] Fine condition. Rare.
18th century AD. A gold-inlaid tortoiseshell writing-desk set comprising: a tray with knob feet, bands of gold-inlaid vines to the rim and border, hatched central panel with four raised roundels; matching sand-shaker with ribbed body, lid with knop handle, pierced inner plate; three matching inkwells each with knop-handled lid, gilt-metal inner sleeve; two dip-pens, each with geometric gold inlay. Property of an Essex gentleman; inherited from Dr James Hasson of Harley Street, London; acquired before 1950. Dr James Hasson (1892-1979) came to England from Alexandria in the 1920s, having qualified in Geneva; he was physician to Charles De Gaulle and the Free French Forces during WW2; a consultant to Christie's on Italian Renaissance art during the 1930s-1950s, a collector of fine art and author of several books, including The Banquet of the Immortals, London, 1948. Gold-inlaid tortoiseshell became a favoured artistic medium of the Italian craftsmen during the 16th century; the fashion spread throughout Europe and lasted for two centuries or more. 286 grams total, tray: 23.5cm overall (9 1/4"). [7, export outside EU subject to CITES] Fine condition; minor repair; one pen lacking its nib-holder and nib. Rare.
16th-17th century AD. A pair of naively carved skulls, formed from the cleaved ends of leg bones; eyes and nostrils drilled and upper jaw shown as a series of incised lines; the backs deliberately coated in tar, to seal the open bone structure or as an adhesive to affix them. Property of a London collector; found river Thames foreshore, 1960s-1970s. The purpose of these curious objects is unknown and the Museum of London, which holds a huge collection of river Thames finds, does not seem to have anything like them in their database. 42, 106 grams; 55, 75mm (2 1/4 and 3"). [2, No Reserve] Very fine condition. Very rare.
2nd-4th century AD. A rectangular carved schist frieze depicting Buddha wrapped in the coils of the Serpent King, Mucilinda, beneath a canopy of fronds; attendant to the left facing Buddha and another to the right facing the viewer; panel to the right edge with column and fronds; mounted on a custom-made stand. From an important London collection, acquired in the 1970s. The panels depicts the story of the Serpent King, Mucilinda, who protects the meditating Buddha in the coils of his body for seven days against a storm, after Buddha's Enlightenment. This is a rare subject in Gandharan art. 70 kg, 60 x 46cm including stand (23 1/2 x 18"). Fine condition. Rare subject.
Toltec-Maya, Post Classic Period, 900-1200 AD. A circular limestone relief marker from the human sacrificial ball game, carved with the skull of a defeated ballplayer with open mouth and scrolls of plants emerging; glyphs around the eye, top of the skull decorated with a plumed headdress curving to form further glyphs; old accession number '8697' to the underside. Property of an American collector; acquired 2014 at auction; previously with Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA, with museum accession number 8697 to the reverse. C.f. Schele, L. and Miller, M. The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art, London, 1992, pp. 241-265, for a discussion on the ballgame in Mayan society and religion. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. There has been a long history of ball games in Mesoamerica, for both recreational, and religious purposes. The ritual aspect of the games took precedence with special structures for the games being built in the centre of Mayan cities, next to the principle temples and palace complex. The ballcourts were usually an alley framed by two parallel structures, sometimes with clearly defined end zones that gave the entire structure the shape of a capital letter ?. The games were composed of two teams with two or three team members each who controlled the ball by hitting it with their upper arm or thigh - touching it with the hands was forbidden, as was allowing the ball to touch the ground. From relief images at the courts, and ceramic figurines found at Mayan sites, we know that the players wore a loin cloth with a leather hip guard, which protected the hip and projected the ball when hitting it. The players also wore elaborate headdresses which marked them out as being involved in a ritual act. Points were scored by striking the solid rubber ball, which was thirty centimeters in diameter and weighed four kilograms, towards a ring high up on the walls of the court, or at markers, such as this one, set along the alley or in end zones. Although the games had an entertainment factor, with professional players and gambling, the primary role of the games was religious. In the ritual games war captives were used who were weakened by deprivation and made to enter the ballcourt at a disadvantage and pitted one against another until only one champion remained. The losers were sacrificed by having their hearts ripped out and being decapitated; the hearts were offered to the gods and the heads were displayed on skull racks, called Tzompantli, close to the courts, or were encased in rubber and used as balls in the games. This ballcourt marker possibly depicts the skull of a defeated player encased in a rubber ball. At Chichen Itza on the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, is a relief from the great ballcourt which depicts a skull exactly the same as this one. Here, the skull-ball is in the centre of a scene which shows a victorious ballplayer on the left holding the head of the figure opposite him, whom he has decapitated. Six snakes and an elaborate tree sprout from the severed neck of the victim, showing the fertility that such sacrifice will bring. The skull-ball on the scene, as well as on this example, have scrolls of vegetation coming out of the mouth, and this has been interpreted as the fronds and seed pods of the cacao plant - a source of wealth for the Maya. The religious aspect of the games derives from the Popol Vuh, a series of myths relating to creation and the exploits of the Hero Twins. The story begins with the Hero Twins' father, Hun Hunahpu, and uncle, Vucub Hunahpu, playing ball near the underworld, Xibalba. The lords of the underworld became annoyed with the noise from the ball playing and so the gods send owls to lure the brothers to the ballcourt situated on the western edge of the underworld. Despite the danger, the brothers fall asleep and are captured and sacrificed by the gods and then buried in the ballcourt. Hun Hunahpu was decapitated and his head hung in a fruit tree. Hun Hunahpu's head spits into the hands of a passing goddess who then conceives and gives birth to the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The Hero Twins eventually find the ballgame equipment in their father’s house and start playing, again to the annoyance of the gods, who summon the twins to play the ballgame amidst trials and dangers. In one notable episode, Hunahpu is decapitated by bats. His brother uses a squash as Hunahpu's substitute head until his real one, now used as a ball by the gods, can be retrieved and placed back on Hunahpu's shoulders. The twins eventually go on to play the ballgame with the gods, defeating them. However, they were still destined to die so they could be reborn and defeat lords of Xibalba for good. After killing them by a trickery, they returned to the underworld to resurrect their father and in the end, they became the Sun and the Moon. 10 kg, 30cm (12"). Fine condition. Extremely rare.
Jurassic Period, 157-152 million years BP. A rare and large Brontosaurus tail vertebra, from the lower to middle Morrison Formation in Wyoming and Utah, USA. From the Pradi Collection, Boston, USA; acquired 1980s, from Wyoming, USA. Brontosaurus, meaning thunder lizard, is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs. It was a large, long-necked quadrupedal animal with a long, whip-like tail, and forelimbs that were slightly shorter than their hindlimbs. The largest species, Brontosaurus. excelsus, weighed up to 15 tons and measured up to 72 feet long from head to tail. 3.81 kg, 17cm (6 3/4"). Fine condition.
Circa 3000 BC. A marble Jemdet Nasr cylinder seal with oval, criss-cross and chevron patter; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and an old scholarly note by G.W. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder seal of pink marble. The design consists of a pattern of lines and shapes, the whole between the upper and lower rulings. Four oval shapes are put in a row in the middle, and one side is filled with criss-cross, the outer side with a mixture of chevrons and some criss-cross. This is a Sumerian Jemdet Nasr seal, c. 3000 BC. It is in fine condition, and the design is rare, possibly unique. It is based on water creatures, which are depicted at this time with oval bodies. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 10.05 grams, 20mm (3/4"). Very fine condition. Rare, possibly unique.
2400-2200 BC. A marble cylinder seal with frieze of figures and ostriches; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of White Marble 28 x 15mm. In the centre of the design there is a sitting goddess facing right and facing her is a standing figure in long robe holding up a rod. Behind the goddess is a second, similar standing figure with raised hands. Between the standing figures and the seated goddess is an ostrich on each side, and two items in front and a kind of stand behind. Other fillers are present. This comes from Iran and dates to c.2400-2200 B.C. It is an interesting an rare seal, but it is worn and not everything is clear. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 11 grams, 28mm (1"). Fine condition, worn. Rare.
1100-900 BC. A bitumen cylinder seal with two borders to the top and bottom, centre is left empty, with seated monkey between vultures in the top register, and monkey in front of a solar symbol with griffins to either side; accompanied by a museum-quality impression, and an old scholarly note by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder seal of bitumen. This has two designs, one at each end, and tête bêche, with a blank band in the middle. Each design is enclosed within upper and lower rulings. The one shows a seated monkey in the middle, behind a vulture standing with wings spread and head down, and in front of the monkey a second, walking vulture holding a diamond-shaped object in its beak. The other end shows an elaborate solar disc, to its right the seated monkey, to its left a recumbent winged bull and the diamond shape. this is a seal from south-west Iran, c. 100-900 BC. It is chipped at the ends, but otherwise in fine condition. Seals with two designs like this are rare. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 10.78 grams, 48mm (2"). Very fine condition. Rare.
Circa 3000 BC. A Jemdet Nasr stone cylinder seal with three running horned animals; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and an old scholarly note by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, which states: Cylinder seal of cream and dark marble. The design is a frieze of three running horned animals achieved by gouging and a little drilling. This is a Sumerian seal of the Jemdet Nasr period, c. 3000 BC, from Sumer or a neighbouring area. It is worn, but the design remains clear. The hole is not completely drilled: something not rare with this type of Jemdet Nasr seal. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 13 grams, 21mm (1"). Very fine condition.
Circa 3000 BC. A long, slender hardstone cylinder seal with intaglio animals; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and signed manuscript scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of Green Stone: Brocade style: two pairs of two horned animals tête bêche, a bird and filling fish. Sumerian, c.3000 B.C. Joined from two pieces, otherwise fine condition. Rare as complete. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 13 grams, 78mm (3"). Very fine condition, repaired. Rare.
20th-17th century BC. A haematite cylinder seal with frieze of figures and symbols; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and custom made stand; accompanied with a hand written note which states: Cylinder seal, an old Babylonian haematite seal with three standing figures, circa 1900/1600 BC. One kneeling god holding aloft an eagle with two attendant gods with inscriptions. Size hight 2 cm. Rare subject. Estimate price £ 350/550. Provenance London Market, year 1979. Property of a London gentleman; acquired on the London market in 1979. 3.36 grams; 209 grams including stand, seal 19mm; stand 11 x 5.7cm (3/4 (4 1/4 x 2 1/4)"). Very fine condition.
2600-2400 BC. A marble cylinder seal with two figural friezes; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of White Marble 42 x 12 mm. The design has an elaborate form of three registers: a contest scene at the top, a band of shapes in the middle, and a banquet scene below. Bands of three lines separate the registers. The contest has eight figures on their hind legs: a hero between two quadrupeds, and two heroes battling a lion and other quadrupeds. The banquet shows one seated drinker and a standing figure facing, then two further standing figures facing a third in the group. This comes from ancient Mesopotamia and dates to c.2600-2400 B.C. It is a rare seal for the middle register. It is worn, but the design can still be seen. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 9.70 grams, 42mm (1 3/4"). Fine condition, worn. Rare.
Circa 3000 BC. A limestone cylinder seal with spouted and other vessels; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of Green Stone 23 x 14 mm. The design is a frieze of two panels separated by a tree in each case. Each panel has vessels of two types: one with a spout at the top of the belly and a tall neck above that, and one depicted as a circle with spikes projecting like the ends of a simple cross. The one panel has one of each type, the other two of each type. This is a Sumerian Jemdet Nasr seal, c. 3000 B.C. The design is rare, perhaps unique, and the seal is in fine condition. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 7.81 grams, 23mm (1"). Fine condition. Rare, possibly unique.
2200-2100 BC. A hardstone cylinder seal with frieze of figures; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of Green Stone 12.5 x 7 mm. The design consists of three standing figures in a row: all facing right, wearing long robes to the ankles, all with their hair done up in a bun at the back of the head, and all raising one hand in a gesture of worship. This is a late Akkadian or early Neo-Sumerian seal, c.2200-2100 B.C. It is cut in the distinctive style of that period and in a characteristic stone. The design is a rare one, and the seal is in fine condition. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 0.89 grams, 13mm (1/2"). Very fine condition. Rare.
Circa 3000 BC. A pink limestone cylinder seal with temple façade and fish; accompanied by a museum-quality impression and typed and signed scholarly note issued by W.G. Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: Cylinder Seal of Pink Marble 19 x 15 mm. The design, which is mostly linear, consists of a temple façade in all detail, with a triangle in the gateway, and a row of four fish, one above the other. This is a Jemdet Nasr Sumerian seal, c. 3000 B.C. It is in fine condition. Fish were a very important part of Sumerian life since they provided the protein for most people. Meat was rare and very expensive. Fish were also often given to temples as offerings. Property of a London gentleman; part of his family collection since the 1970s. This lot is part of a single collection of cylinder seals which were examined in the 1980s by Professor Lambert and most are accompanied by his own detailed notes; the collection has recently been reviewed by Dr. Ronald Bonewitz. 7.72 grams, 18mm (3/4"). Very fine condition.
2600-2400 BC. A gypsum statuette of a male or female worshipper with eyes inlaid with shell and black limestone, standing, nude from the waist up and wearing a woollen skirt, hands clasped at the chest in prayer and with a small chair behind; accompanied by an old scholarly note, typed and signed by W.G Lambert, late Professor of Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: The figure is apparently female and clothed from the waist to the ankles, where there is a deep fringe. The head lacks any hair, and the face looks upwards with big eyes inlaid with three different materials to represent the human eyes. The hands are clasped over the waist. The feet show at the front the back is a necessary support for the weight of the whole body. The back also shows the block on which the statuette sits, which does not appear at the front. This is a statuette in the Sumerian tradition, but from central Mesopotamia. It dates to c. 2600-2400 BC and is in very good state of preservation. Such statuettes are rare. Accompanied by photocopy of previous Bosgirard auction catalogue listing and French export certificate. Property of a London gentleman; previously with Bosgirard Auction, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 17 December 2008, lot 21; from an important collection formed before 1980. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. Life in the cities of Mesopotamia was focused on the gods, who were believed to dwell in specially constructed temples. However, judging from the few excavated examples, these buildings appear not to have been congregational in nature. Access to the small central shrines was probably limited, most likely to the priests who served the god's needs. It was perhaps due to this lack of access that the elite commissioned images of themselves to be carried into the god's presence. These statues embodied the very essence of the worshipper so that the spirit would be present when the physical body was not. Quite how, or indeed if, the statues were presented to the god is unknown, as none have been discovered in situ but rather found buried in groups under the temple floor, or built into cultic installations such as altars, or scattered in pieces in the shrine and surrounding rooms. 209 grams, 12cm (4 3/4"). Fine condition.
2nd-1st millenium BC. A votive bronze figure in the shape of a human with two heads, one female and wearing an elaborate hairstyle, the other male and bald; the right hand is held at the waist and the left is raised and holding a flower; the wide flaring skirt is decorated with a head emerging from foliage. Private collection, London, UK; formed 1970s-1980s. 46 grams, 10cm (4"). Fine condition. Rare.
2800-550 BC. A bronze figurine of a standing male deity on a square base wearing a long robe belted from the waist; the face carefully modelled with prominent beard; the right arm bent and extended, pierced to accept a rod, the left arm absent. From an old German collection, Cologne; acquired in the early 1980s. Cf. Muscarella, O.W. Bronze and Iron. Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988, item 332. In texts from Susa, the capital of the Elamites, over two hundred deities have been identified. The majority of the deities of Susa are of Mesopotamian origin due the political and cultural influences that this held over the Elamites, and Inanna, the goddess of war and fertility, Ea, the creator and protector of mankind, and Sin, the moon god, all had temples at the capital. The head of the Elamite pantheon was a goddess known as Kiririsha, with Shamash, the sun god, being highly revered. 474 grams, 22 cm (8 1/2"). Fine condition. Rare.
3rd century BC. A short and broad triangular blade with blood letting fullers either side, each forming the two long sides of a triangle; fitted with a bronze lower quillon guard and a pommel with two openwork crescents, the iron grip inlaid with flat bronze strip forming a complex geometric pattern with bosses; Iberian workmanship. From an important English collection; acquired in the 1990s. The dagger used by the Roman soldier, or legionary, was called a pugio; a last-ditch stabbing weapon brandished in hand-to-hand combat, also used to eliminate guards or sentries in a night attack. Only high-rank officers and dignitaries owned pugio daggers with ornamented hilts with silver or copper inlays. 420 grams, 30.5cm (12"). Very fine condition. Rare.
18th century AD. A traditional war club with straight shaft having two bands of zig-zag carved ornament at the butt, trimmed at end, expanding in a shallow curve to the club-end and terminating in a raised ridge to the face; the upper inside curved part of the shaft carved with deep lines to retain the grey and red pigment; the club with dark, glossy patina and showing evidence of usage. Property of an Essex lady; acquired on the UK art market. See British Museum, accession number Oc1930,0409.18 for a club of similar form, including the treatments to each end, but lacking the pigment which survives on the example offered here. This example lacks the prominent spur to the reverse side of the club head, typically seen on specimens of a later date; the original pigment is a rare survival. These clubs are sometimes known as 'Gata' or 'Gunstock' types, the latter due to the shape of some closely resembling the stock of a musket. 1.70 kg, 80cm (31 1/2"). Fine condition.
475-476 AD. Constantinople mint. Obv: DN BASILISCI-ET MARC P AVG legend with pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right with short diadem ties. Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM legend with Victory advancing right, head left, holding wreath and cross on globe; star in lower right field; mintmark CONOB in exergue. RIC X 1031; Sear 21500; MIR 10. See Wildwinds.com (this coin"). 1.47 grams. Very fine; test cut to flan. Extremely rare.
120-100 BC. Obv: Aquitanic head right with leaf-like hair. Rev: horseman right with oval shield, scrolled flower below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); ex D. Beadell collection. LT 4446; DT 3344; BMC S 174. Chris Rudd, Liz's List 46, number 4 (this coin"). 'Chris Rudd notes: Only 38 others recorded, mostly in French museums. These large West Berry silver coins are attributed to the Pictones by D. Nash (1978).' 3.04 grams. Very fine; large flan. Very rare.
70-56 BC. Obv: Armorican-style male head right. Rev: human-headed horse right with charioteer above, human head below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); found Bourne, Lincolnshire, 2009. LT -; DT -; de Jersey -; see Chris Rudd, List 113, 8, for another example. Chris Rudd, Liz's List, number 14 (this coin"). Apparently unpublished in any standard catalogue. 6.66 grams. Fine/very fine; most plating surviving. Excessively rare (only one other recorded).
40-10 BC. Obv: Armorican-style head right with three large hair-locks, slit eye and scroll issuing from mouth. Rev: fantastic horse right with bulbous chest, sinuous 'swan's neck', traces of lash above with X in square banner before, uncertain motif below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); ex Cotswold collection. LT -; DT -; de Jersey -; Scheers -; cf. LT J.26; cf. DT 2343; cf. Deperyot VIII, 183, 185. Chris Rudd, List 115, number 4 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'This seems to be a miniature version of a de Jersey class 4 stater, possibly with a boar below and certainly with a banner before the horse. The big difference is the horse's neck which is represented by a large double scroll (or are these meant to be reins?"). Commenting on these excessively rare quarter staters Dr Philip de Jersey says: It is apparent that these were small-scale, extremely localised issues, with the same type rarely known from more than a couple of sites. The sites on which most have been found are predominantly ritual locations, notably fana and for that reason it is difficulty to accept Gruel and Taccoën's suggestion that the coins are 'un element indispensable à une monétarisation réelle des échanges commerciaux'. It is far more likely that the function of these coins was intimately bound up with the site itself, perhaps as a special form offering, since they do not generally appear in the contexts one would expect if they were really evidence of monetarisation. The date of these issues is almost certainly post-conquest, Gruel and Taccoën suggest 40-10 BC - and thus the coinage represents the only significant indigenous production of the post-war years (Coinage in Iron Age Amorica, 1994, p.115)'. 1.44 grams. Very fine/near extremely fine. Extremely rare; unpublished in major catalogues.
50-30 BC. Obv: boar left with upturned snout, with four lyres above. Rev: stag left, looking back over shoulder, 'wing' motif and annulet above, annulet-in-annulet below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); found near Basingstoke, Hampshire, before 2010. S. -; BMC -; ABC 935; see Chris Rudd, List 100, 18 for discussion. Chris Rudd, List 111, number 18 (this coin"). 0.41 grams. Near extremely fine/good very fine; bold animals. Excessively rare (only a few others recorded).
10-40 AD. Obv: COF in box with pellet at sides, pellet-in-annulet above and below. Rev: facing head of Medusa with VERI around. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. 141; BMC 1506; ABC 1271. Chris Rudd, List 117, number 26 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'It's five years since we sold our one and only other specimen, which came to us from the Tony Abramson collection. Commenting on it Dr Philip de Jersey said: This is one of the rarest of Verica's silver minims, with only seven examples recorded in the CCI, of which four are in museum collections. The Medusa head links the type back to the quarter stater of Tincomarus bearing the same motif (VA 378) but is rather less well defined here; the limitations of the minim dies must have made this an extraordinarily difficult piece of die engraving'. 0.25 grams. Good very fine/very fine. Extremely rare (only nine others recorded, including four in museums).
50-40 BC. Obv: plain. Rev: small annulate horse left with corded triangle containing pellet-in-annulet above with pellet before and X-in-box below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. 172; BMC 2470; ABC 198 variant (hatched box below"). Chris Rudd, Liz's List 58, number 16 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes (ABC): 'This goes with the Weald Net staters, ABC 177, 180.' 1.10 grams. Near very fine; chipped at edge. Rare variant.
55-45 BC. Obv: wreath motif with inward facing leaves and ornaments in angles. Rev: horse right with beaded mane, wing motif and pellet trefoil above, ellipse and cogwheel in front, cogwheel below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. 32; BMC 279-286; ABC 2436. Chris Rudd, List 108, number 44 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'No, this isn't just another Early Whaddon Chase gold stater. This is a Cogwheel Type gold stater which is a rare type. This excellent example not only shows the wings of the winged sceptre on the obverse, but also a crescentic hidden face like the one on our Commius E-Type gold stater (no 20"). The reverse allows us to see not one but two cruciform 'cogwheel' ornaments: one before the horse (complete), the other under the horse (top part"). There is also a very bold pellet-triad immediately above the horse's head.' 5.70 grams. Good very fine; neat flan. Rare.
![35-43 AD. Obv: corn ear without central stalk with [CA]M to left and CVN to right. Rev: horse rearing right with AGR below. T](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/775f2958-7d7f-4c6e-8eb4-a59a00dec3ba/d59423a4-a685-4c5f-f3a7-fae5cffeb789/468x382.jpg)
35-43 AD. Obv: corn ear without central stalk with [CA]M to left and CVN to right. Rev: horse rearing right with AGR below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); found near Stowmarket, Suffolk, 2009. S. 352; BMC 1854; ABC 3002; See Chris Rudd, Lists 64, pp.5-8; 65, pp.2-3; 70, pp.2-4 and 112, pp.5-6 for discussion. Chris Rudd, List 112, number 53 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'Agr is one of the most elusive rulers of late iron age Britain and this is the prettiest Agr gold quarter stater we have seen. A great specimen of a great rarity.' 1.37 grams. Extremely fine; arguably the finest known example. Excessively rare (only four others recorded).
Late 1st century BC. Obv: vertical wreath with TASCI inscribed panel. Rev: stag standing, head looking back with VER before, pellet-in-annulet above and annulet below. Found Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK, 2000. S. -; BMC -; ABC 2634; see BNJ, 1989, no.12. See Celtic Coin Index, Oxford, reference CCI 00.0375 (this coin"). 1.24 grams. Very fine. Extremely rare.
8-41 AD. Obv: CVNO BELI in double panel with small star above. Rev: horseman riding right with CVN below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. 302; BMC 1862; ABC 2858. Chris Rudd, Liz's List 74, number 41 (this coin"). 1.22 grams. Very fine, small striking crack. Very rare.
60-50 BC. Obv: plain. Rev: disjointed horse left, 'domino' box with four pellets above. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket); found Rowley Parish, East Yorkshire, 2011. S. 393; BMC 3185-3186; ABC 1758 variant (plain obverse"). Chris Rudd, Liz's List 66, number 33 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'low weight so probably a base-gold contemporary forgery.' 3.05 grams. Very fine/near very fine. Rare.
50-5 BC. Obv: boar right with two front legs, ears and tusk with 'spear' in shoulder and annulet-in-pelleted-annulet above, 'triskele' symbol before and pellet-in-annulet below. Rev: horse left with pelleted annulet above and pellet-in-annulet and dotted ground line below. Found Exton, Rutland, UK, early 1990s. S. -; BMC -; ABC - (but see ABC 1779 for the type, with different symbol below the boar, in silver; also see S. 396 and BMC 3194-3198"). The nearest parallel for this coin is the Proto Boar type silver unit of the Corieltauvi (S. 396; BMC 3194-3198; ABC 1779) but no bronze coins are recorded for this region. As it was found in association with other Corelitauvi coins, the attribution to this tribe seems reasonable and it appears that it is perhaps a contemporary forgery of a silver unit that would once have had a plated surface. 1.17 grams. [No Reserve] Very fine. Very rare.
50-30 BC. Obv: pellet-in-annulet at centre. Rev: horse right with beaded mane, cogwheel sun above, pellet-in-annulet before and below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. -; BMC -; ABC 2252. Chris Rudd, Liz's List 60, number 42 (this coin"). 0.73 grams. Fine/very fine; much plating surviving. Excessively rare (unique?); no other plated examples recorded.
55-45 BC. Obv: abstract wreath pattern with hidden face. Rev: triple-tailed horse right, charioteer's arms and pellets above, trefoil of pellets behind, eye symbol below tail, seven-spoked wheel below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket"). S. 38; BMC 454; ABC 485. Chris Rudd, List 109, number 17 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'the bonus of a big flan like this is that you get all the parts of the horse plus plenty of surrounding ornaments including the charioteer's arms. Robert Van Arsdell selected the reverse of Selsey Two-Faced when he wrote about appreciating Celtic coins (Celtic Coinage of Britain, 1989, 43-45"). It's a brilliant piece of art analysis and well worth reading.' 5.88 grams. Good very fine; large flan, sharp horse with clear wheel. Rare thus.
60-50 BC. Obv: wreath motif with cloak and crude profile. Rev: horse right with pellets above and around, zig-zag with pellets within crescent below. The Brodie Hall, Kent, UK, collection; acquired Chris Rudd (with envelope and ticket) S. 27; BMC 145-179; ABC Chris Rudd, Liz's List 45, number 38 (this coin"). Chris Rudd notes: 'An amazing rarity.....'. 3.04 grams. Very fine; edge chipped, considerable plating survives. Extremely rare as a plated copy (only seven others recorded).
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