A large gilt copper-alloy pin head of discoid form, displaying a central knop and stylised chip-carved flower head cross with scrolling volutes to the head of each of four petals and tendrils between; perforated lug to the apex; later secondary piercing beside the rim and ferrous rivet. 9.41 grams, 46 mm

Found UK.
Acquired in the 1990s.
From a North Yorkshire private collection, UK.

See Hinton, D.A., Gold and Gilt, Pots and Pins, Oxford, 2006, plate D, for similar.

The item began as one of a set of pin-heads for the headdress of a high-status female. Subsequently the edge was pierced in two places and a rivet passed through one hole - if the other hole also accepted a rivet it has been lost. The floral decoration terminates in narrow triangular vine-leaf motifs which appear elsewhere in Trewhiddle Style art.

A gold band with raised median gusset flanked by two rows of punched pellets. 3.47 grams, 21.87 mm overall, 19.18 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)

Found whilst searching with a metal detector by Mr Keith J Lewis and Mr James Arms near Willisham, Suffolk, UK, in March 2019.
Declared under the Treasure Act and disclaimed to the finders.

Accompanied by a copy of the report on the find of potential treasure for H M Coroner.

Cf. two gold finger rings with similar carinated profile (but lacking the punched detailing) found with other items at Patching, West Sussex, England in Hinton, D.A., Gold and Gilt, Pots and Pins, Oxford, 2006, fig.1.3.

A gold ornament of discoid form with granulated border, central lozengiform cell with concave sides and turquoise-coloured enamel fill, semi-circular polished garnet cloison to each quarter, two ribbed suspension loops to the perimeter and two parallel tubular suspension loops to reverse. 1.65 grams, 19 mm

Acquired 1980-2015.
Ex Abelita family collection.

Cf. similar motif repeated on a Byzantine-inspired mount from Kudenetov, Russia, plate 17 in Adams, N., Rethinking the Sutton Hoo Shoulder-Clasps and Armour, in Entwistle, C. & Adams, N., Intelligible Beauty, Recent Research into Byzantine Jewellery, London, 2010.

The item clearly forms part of a necklace or bracelet secured by means of cords passing through the tubes on the reverse, and attached to its neighbours by links passing through the lateral hoops.

A rectangular gilt copper-alloy mount displaying a chip-carved beast mask to the recessed centre formed from two Style I beasts in profile each with triple-strand body; remains of iron matrix to verso. 12 grams, 28 mm

Found UK.
Acquired in the 1990s.
From a North Yorkshire private collection, UK.

Cf. Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B., Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010, plate 13(b), for similar gilt-bronze panel in an iron matrix.

The gilt-bronze panel features some detailed Style I ornament with a facing mask at the centre formed from the bent legs of the two beasts. The iron matrix suggests that the piece was mounted on an item of military equipment, either a helmet, shield or horse-harness.

A pair of large Early Anglo-Saxon gilt copper-alloy saucer brooches each comprising a broad (13mm+) angled flange surrounding a central disc with carinated border; outer zone comprising four arches subdivided by hatching to the inner edge and four C-shaped panels with triangular separators, inner zone separated by a carinated border, central disc with four radiating bilinear crescents; pin-lugs and catch to the reverse with traces of mineralised fabric. 129 grams total, 76 mm wide eachProfessionally cleaned.

Found whilst searching with a metal detector in October 2021, in Siddington, Gloucestershire, UK.

Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme report nos.GLO-6A87D9 and GLO-19B6F2.
Accompanied by a specialist report by Anglo-Saxon and Viking specialist Stephen Pollington.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11649-199425.

Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, items 2.44, 2.45; cf. The British Museum, museum number 1852,0406.1, for a saucer brooch dated 6th-early 7th century incorporating some comparable motifs.

A carved bone amulet or mount displaying a stylised figural scene: central panel featuring two figures seated back to back at the centre, possibly bound captives, flanked by larger figures seated facing them, holding cups; two orderly rows of centre-facing heads either side; decorative striations to both terminals, pierced twice for attachment. 19.4 grams, 14 cmFine condition, small loss to the lower edge at one end.

Previously in the Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
From a Cambridge collection.
Property of a North London gentleman.

Cf. Dalton, O.M., Catalogue of Early Christian Antiquities and Objects from the Christian East in the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography of the British Museum, London, 1901, item 291, for type; for similar carving style see the belt of Saint Caesarius, in D'Amato, R., Post Roman Kingdoms, Dark Ages Gaul and Britain, AD 450-800, Oxford, 2022, p.12.

The piece is curved and slightly twisted in the horizontal plane suggesting that it would be unsuitable for mounting on a piece of furniture or casket unless it formed an inset panel within a larger scene.

A carved bone panel, roughly triangular in plan with a curved profile, carved in relief with a stylised figural scene: left, above: two figures standing right, four large heads below; partial figures with a hound facing left above right, text below: 'JVLIANVS'; panel of five orderly rows of heads facing left, with geometric border below; notching to the edges to reverse; repaired. 31.4 grams, 91 mm

Previously in the Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
From a Cambridge collection.
Property of a North London gentleman.

Cf. Dalton, O.M., Catalogue of Early Christian Antiquities and Objects from the Christian East in the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography of the British Museum, London, 1901, item 291, for type; for similar carving style see the belt of Saint Caesarius, in D'Amato, R., Post Roman Kingdoms, Dark Ages Gaul and Britain, AD 450-800, Oxford, 2022, p.12.

The piece is probably a panel from a carved casket. The imagery relates to the Emperor Julian, later known as 'the Apostate', who was the cousin of Emperor Constantius II and ruled from 3 November 361-26 June 363. Julian was well-educated in the Greek tradition and rejected the Christian faith imposed on the eastern Empire under his uncle, Constantine. On his succession, Julian embarked on a military campaign against the Sassanian Empire in 363 which initially went well, but at the battle of Samarra in the same year he was badly wounded.

A carved bone panel or amulet, possibly a pectoral fragment, carved with a scene composed of a central mounted horseman advancing left with spear raised and solar symbol behind his head, flanked by his forces depicted on the left as two rows of heads facing right, and on the right as two rows of heads facing left; pierced for attachment or suspension; repaired. 53 grams, 16.5 cmFine condition, small losses to lower edge and one finial; repaired.

Previously in the Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
From a Cambridge collection.
Property of a North London gentleman.

Cf. Dalton, O.M., Catalogue of Early Christian Antiquities and Objects from the Christian East in the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography of the British Museum, London, 1901, item 291, for type; for similar carving style see the belt of Saint Caesarius, in D'Amato, R., Post Roman Kingdoms, Dark Ages Gaul and Britain, AD 450-800, Oxford, 2022, p.12.

The scene represents a triumphant military commander or an emperor on horseback surrounded by his troops. It may have formed part of the parade attire of a junior officer.

A substantial gold mount or fitting for a shield, belt or bridle comprising a median domed panel with central green glass cabochon, four pelta-shaped radiating-arm cells with inset garnets, two now absent; to each end a fish-tail with inset garnet cloisons, one absent; six fixing pins to the mounting plate with beaded border. 12.62 grams, 48 mm

Acquired by Mr L. Grenacs of Belgium in 1975.
Acquired London, UK, 1999.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11650-198616.

See Arrhenius, B., Merovingian Garnet Jewellery, Stockholm, 1985, for discussion; and for a similar corpus, see Wieczorek, A. and Perin, P., Das Gold der Barbarenfursten, Damstadt, 2001.

A gold finger ring comprising a lozengiform bezel and twisted hoop; applied filigree bilinear frame to the bezel enclosing four applied filigree hoops and central cell with inset garnet cloison over a waffle-pattern gold-foil reflector. 3.16 grams, 22.79 mm overall, 20.52 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)

Acquired 1960s-1990s.
Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11651-199135.

Cf. Hadjadj, R., Bagues Merovingiennes - Gaul du Nord, Paris, 2007, item 144, for type; see also Adams, N., Rethinking the Sutton Hoo Shoulder-Clasps and Armour, in Entwistle, C. & Adams, N., Intelligible Beauty, Recent Research into Byzantine Jewellery, London, 2010, for discussion of the cloisonné technique.

A substantial silver chessman-type seal matrix with pierced trefoil finial, four points close to the rim for alignment; central cinquefoil with pointillé edges, groups of three pellets between petals, border with Lombardic script legend '* SIGILLVM : CHRISTINE DE WATTONE' (seal of Christine of Watton). 14.7 grams, 24 mm

The Matrix Collection, formed by David Morris since the late 1980s.
Found at the village of Repps-with-Bastwick near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK, before 20 February 1996.
Anonymous vendor, Phillips, 20 February 1996, lot 12.
Matrix Collection catalogue no.0193.
Many of the seals within the collection were published in a book titled 'The Matrix Collection', by David Morris in 2012.

Accompanied by a copy of the illustrated collection notes.

The market town of Watton is sited in Norfolk and, during the pre-Conquest reign of Edward the Confessor, supported two manors.

A silver chessman-type seal matrix with pierced trefoil finial; incuse motif of Christ crucified facing flanked by two supporters in profile; Lombardic script legend to the edge " *IESVSNAZERNVS" (Jesus the Nazarene). 12.7 grams, 27 mm

The Matrix Collection, formed by David Morris since the late 1980s.
Matrix Collection catalogue no.1101.
Many of the seals within the collection were published in a book titled 'The Matrix Collection', by David Morris in 2012.