Of tripartite form, comprising: the handle, the main mirror plate and tubular binding edge; the reverse of the mirror plate with traces of volute and spiral decoration, once covering the entire surface, thick applied border; separate handle comprising three fastening lobes and three openwork rings forming the grip, possibly a marriage. 355 grams, 27 cm

Private collection since the late 1990s.
Property of an English collector.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.10603-174116.

Cf. The British Museum, museum number 1924,0109.1, for a broadly similar example.

Such mirrors were a unique product of the Celts in Britain, during a period between 300 B.C. and 100 A.D., when they were buried in the graves of queens, high-born princesses and other noblewomen, or in treasure hoards. The majority of these graves are dated between 100 B.C. and 100 A.D. Most of the specimens come from Britain (Desborough, Oxfordshire, Old Warden, Shillington, Trelan Bahow, Mayer mirrors), and a few were found in the nearby regions of France or the Low Countries (e.g. the Dordrecht mirror).

The facial features carefully moulded with oversized, almond-shaped eyes and a rope around the neck; hollow to the reverse with a central iron mounting peg, the void filled with lead. 54 grams, 45 mm high

Found East Anglia, UK.

Cf. the anthropomorphic mount from Ancaster, Lincolnshire, recorded with the PAS under reference DUR-8474E1 and similar but less well-defined bust from Oswestry, Shropshire, recorded under CPAT-3E2E53.

Of penannular form with expanded sections at the centre and to both shoulders. 138 grams, 79 mm wide

From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
Ex old English collection, formed in the 1970s.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.200277.

Cf. The British Museum, museum number 1849,0627.1, for a similar example dated 11th-8th century B.C.

Formed with right hand raised and left hand on the hip, standing nude, ovate face with impressed eyes and slit mouth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 22.5 grams, 60 mm high (45.6 grams total, 71 mm including stand)

with the Prehistoric Museum, Dingle, Country Kerry, Republic of Ireland, until November 2018.
Ex K. Schmidt collection, Cologne, Germany.

Accompanied by an Irish export licence, no. 6570.

Cf. Durham, E., Metal Figurines in Roman Britain, University of Reading PhD thesis, 2010, item 172 (presumed deity from Banham, Norfolk).

Featuring a central boss and ribbed suspension loop; flat-section strips forming an expanding-arm cross, beaded wire collar to the boss, series of triangular punch marks to the outer border. 7.83 grams, 44 mm

By descent from a Russian noble family.
From the collection of a North American gentleman.

Comprising a rectangular headplate with two panels of chip-carved Style I ornament, flanking a beast-head with triangular muzzle and two pellet eyes, raised three-sided frame and outer band of pellets above beast-heads with lentoid eyes; the shallow bow with raised median rib, flanges to the edges and punched pellet detailing; footplate with beast-head between curved pellet lines, pierced horse-head lappets, lozengiform central panel with knot of Style I limbs; two lateral discs, one pierced to accept a stud and the other with a domed stud in place; the finial a disc with human mask inverted; pin-lug and part of catch to the reverse. 75 grams, 13.4 cm

Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Oving, near Chichester, West Sussex, UK, in 2001.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no. 200279.

See Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, for discussion.

The various elements of the brooch find similar counterparts on others in the series, such as the form of the bow which corresponds to those on brooches from Herpes (Pas-de-Calais, France) and Sarre (Kent) (Hines's plates 10, 11) and the outer band of masks on the headplate which can be found on a brooch from Tuddenham (Hines's plate 15).

Displaying Style I detailing, bird heads to the three headplate lobes, geometric ornament and facing human head; deep bow with central stud; footplate with horse-head detailing and lateral lappets; trace remains of gilding; pin lug and catchplate to reverse. 88 grams, 13.2 cm

Acquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by searcher certificate no. 201091.

Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 12.32, for a less developed example of the type; British Museum, accession numbers 1883,0401.270, 1883,0401.207 and OA.270, for similar.

Featuring a dished face displaying a chased cross with Style I Tiermensch motifs in each quarter, all framed by concentric rings, broad eccentric flange rim; central pellet in red enamel; remains of pin lug and catchplate to reverse. 40 grams, 49 mm

Cambridgeshire collection, 1990s.

Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, items 2.29, 2.32, 2.34, for type.

Enamel detailing is exceedingly rare on early Anglo-Saxon metalwork, and is almost confined to items produced in the south Midlands to the west of the Fenland.

Displaying chased panels populated with Style I zoomorphs and geometric forms, borders of annulets, raised masks to the upper corners of the headplate; applied discoid boss to bow decorated with a rosette, addorsed beast heads below; extensive remains of gilding; pin lug and catchplate to reverse and remains of ancient repair, lower part absent. 80 grams, 82 mm

Cambridgeshire collection, 1990s.

Cf. National Museums Liverpool, accession number M6004, for a similar Jutlandic example; Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, item 86(a), for the applied disc, 85(c), for headplate masks.

The fractured lower edge shows signs of an ancient repair using a separate panel of sheet bronze pinned to the reverse.

Comprising scrolled foliage to the shoulders, tiered disc bezel with beaded wire collar, inset garnet cabochon. 3.85 grams, 23.20 mm overall, 17.69 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)

Acquired on the German art market around 2000.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Cf. Hadjadj, R., Bagues Merovingiennes - Gaul du Nord, Paris, 2007, item 60, for type.

The hoop sub-circular in cross-section with collars and crescents at the shoulders, oval bezel set with a polished cabochon cut garnet. 2.79 grams, 21.85 mm overall, 16.88 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)

From an old London collection, formed in the late 1990s.

Composed of an s-shaped body, central band of chip-carved zigzags, triangular ear and chevron mouth, crescentic leg beneath the body; discoid cell to the eye with inset garnet cloison; pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse. 11.7 grams, 35 mm

Acquired in the early 1970s.
Ex property of a Surrey, UK, collector.

Cf. Brugmann, B., The Role of Continental Artefact-Types in Sixth Century Kentish Chronology in Hines, J. et al., The Pace of Change, Studies in Early Medieval Chronology, Oxford, 1999, fig.3.4, phase II; cf. Menghin, W., The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007, item VIII.17.17, for similar S-shaped fibulas from Marchélepot, France.