With swollen tapering blade, finely incised with concentric rings and spirals at the top of the blade and extended parallel lines; pierced hilt for the fastening of an organic hilt; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 520 grams total, 43.5 cm high including stand

Ex Axel Guttmann collection, AG 1033.
The Axel Guttmann Collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, Part 2, 28 April 2004, lot 17.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no. 11829-207734.

Cf. Falkenstein, F., ‘Gewalt und Krieg in der Bronzezeit Mitteleuropeas’ in Bericht der Bayerischen Bodendenkmalpfelge, 2006/2007, 47/48, pp.33-52, fig.2, for a similar complete sword with hilt.

Born H. and Habsen, S., Helme und Waffen Alteuropas: Sammlung Axel Guttmann, IX, Mainz, 2001, (AG 1033), pp.96-109.

From the middle of the 2nd millennium B.C., the bronze sword became the most efficient and feared weapon, as well as the symbol of an aristocratic warrior.

With slightly tapering socket and openwork bulb above, discoid platform supporting a mounted warrior modelled in the round; horse with long vertical tail and horizontal reins, bowed legs and scrolls at the hooves; warrior astride the horse with legs bent and feet to the rear, helmet with lateral horns and large swept crest with notched edge; arms bent to show the warrior in the act of drawing his falcata sword from the scabbard worn across his midriff; mounted on a custom-made stand. 152 grams total, 18.2 cm high including stand

Ex Axel Guttmann collection.

Accompanied by a copy of an old photograph showing this item on display in a display cabinet within the Guttmann Museum.

Cf. 'Warrior of Moixent' Iberian bronze figurine in the Museo de Prehistoria de Valencia, inventory no.2899.

The horseman's pose with his legs bent and feet held towards the rear would have been necessary before the introduction of stirrups in the early medieval period. The horse appears to sport a disc between its ears, possibly part of the bridle.

A rapier or dirk blade; the blade roughly leaf-shaped with raised midrib to both faces, flat butt with two rivet holes, one retaining a rivet. 87 grams, 15 cm

From an old South Coast, UK, collection.
Ex Alan Cherry, Bournemouth, UK.

Composed of a fan-shaped head with bevelled face and convex cutting edge, flanges creating two elliptical side faces. 424 grams, 15.5 cm

Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Stainmore, Cumbria, UK, in 2012.
Ex private U.K. collection.

S-shaped with scrolled flourishes to the dragon-head terminals, remains of inlaid blue and possibly red enamelling to the stylised beast heads, geometric ornament to the body; free-running tongue with head coiled around the neck of one of the creatures. 12.6 grams, 56 mm

From the collection of a Cambridge lady, 1990s.

S-shaped with scrolled flourishes to the dragon-head terminals, remains of inlaid blue and red enamelling to the stylised beast heads, wave and lozenge ornament to the body; free-running tongue with head coiled around the neck of one of the creatures; Romano-British. 24.9 grams, 60 mm

Found Lincolnshire, UK.

Cf. The British Museum, museum number '.1088.70b' and '.1088.70a' for very similar.

Such fibulae served functional and decorative purposes; the curved pin would have fastened pieces of cloth. They were worn singly or as pairs.

S-shaped with scrolled flourishes to the dragon-head terminals, remains of inlaid blue and yellow enamelling to the stylised beast heads and body body; free-running tongue with head coiled around the neck of one of the creatures. 11.3 grams, 46 mm

Found whilst searching with a metal detector near Wilberforce, East Yorkshire, UK, on 3rd September 2022 by Mr David Brooks.

Recorded with the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS).

Comprising a pair of domed brooches with low-relief zoomorphic decoration in bands, pin to the reverse on a transverse bar, reinforced catchplate; attached to a loop on the reverse of each brooch, a spacer formed as a lobed plaque with double rosette detailing and loops below, two chains connecting to the matched brooch; from the rosette spacers hang two more chains, one with a needle case with openwork knotwork plaque handle above, the other with a decorated lunate pendant. 334 grams, hangs 53 cmFine condition. Rare.

Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990.
Ex London collection since 2016.

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.11736-201216.

For similar oval brooches see Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, pls.58ff. and in particular 62-63, 67; see also Graham-Campbell, J. & Kidd, D., The Vikings, London, 1980, figs.52-53, for similar brooches from Norway; Roesdahl, E., Wilson D.M., From Viking to Crusader: The Scandinavians and Europe 800 to 1200 (22nd Council of Europe Exhibition), Copenhagen, 1992, p.69, pp.75, 89, for similar specimens; Berthelot, S., Musin, A., Russie Viking, vers une autre Normandie? Novgorod et la Russie du Nord, des migrations scandinaves á la fin due Moyen Age (VIIIe-Xve s.), Paris, 2011, pp.90-91.

The most characteristic items of Viking women's jewellery are oval brooch pairs, sometimes called 'tortoise brooches' due to their shape, which are found in many female graves of the period. As in this example, the brooches themselves were usually connected by swags of chains, suspended from the pair of brooches and supporting utilitarian objects such as tweezers, an ear spoon, shears or a small knife, as well as amulets. In addition the wearer displayed strands of beads of glass, silver, amber or jet.

Scales with triple-ring chains, distributor hubs and three chains to each dish, voided handle and gnomon; case formed as two hemispheres with securing clasps to the rim; set of nine bronze barrel-shaped trade weights with punched detailing and identification marks to the flat faces; five silver dirhem coins and thirteen cut halves; two fragments of sheet gold, one with applied filigree tendrils; three hacked pieces of D-section ingot; a silver terminal with beast-head and three convergent bands; two beast-head terminals for a bracelet; six pieces of hacked silver ornament; supplied with a custom-made stand. 1 kg total, 0.9-33 cm

From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

See Graham-Campbell, J & Philpott, R., The Huxley Viking Hoard - Scandinavian Settlement in the North West, Liverpool, 2009, for discussion of a silver hoard.

Comprising a tapering hoop with braided rods to the central section, plain finials coiled around the shank forming collars. 64.4 grams, 88 mm wide

From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11882-200711.

Cf. Willemsen, A., Vikings! Raids in the Rhine/Meuse region 800-1000, Utrecht, 2004, p.137, for similar; and Sotheby's, London, 10 July 1979, lot 31, for another spirally twisted example.

Comprising a rock crystal sphere with shallow notches to accept gold filigree straps, looped at the bottom with separate dangle and green calcite or similar insert; gathered at the top into a sheet gold tube and suspended from a gold wire hoop with ends twisted round the shank. 23.3 grams, 66 mm

Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.

Cf. Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, pl.100(4).

Matched pair, filigree bands and amethyst olive drops with dangles. 9.65 grams total, 48-54 mm

Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s.
Westminster collection, central London, UK.

Cf. Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, pl.115.