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Home > Auctions > 5 - 9 September 2023
Ancient Art, Antiquities, Natural History & Coins

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Auction Highlights:

Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
Sold for (Inc. bp): £17,550
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Sold for (Inc. bp): £19,500
Sold for (Inc. bp): £18,200
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Sold for (Inc. bp): £20,800
Sold for (Inc. bp): £15,600
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150
Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
Sold for (Inc. bp): £13,000
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,420
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Sold for (Inc. bp): £36,400
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,050
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Sold for (Inc. bp): £23,400
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Sold for (Inc. bp): £11,700
Lot No. 0326
42
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
Comprising: an openwork trichinopoly chain with D-section beast-head terminals each with granule and filigree detailing, pierced at the lower end to accept a round-section hoop by two further rings to a hoop with free-running hollow silver Thor's hammer pendant with filigree ornament to the upper face. 116 grams, 76 cm long

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

Accompanied by a specialist metal analysis report.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11896-203749.

Cf. Magnus, B. et al., Bird, Beast and Man in Nordic Iron Age Art, Vol.2, Koln, 2005, items 77, 106, 239 (chain), Kongl. Vitterhets Historie och Antiqvitets Akademiens Månadsblad, 1895 (pendant).

An excessively rare and almost complete copper-alloy hanging bowl and associated fittings comprising: (i) the bowl with three attached matching hooked escutcheons and suspension rings (ii) the basal disc (iii) a body fragment (or possible repair patch) (iv) a curved bronze fragment (ii) the basal disc with separate frame (iii) fragment of copper-alloy sheet, possibly forming part of a repair to the base of the bow (iv) a curved copper-alloy strip (iv) four skeletal fragments from a sheep or similar. 381 grams total, 3.6-20 cm

Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, UK, on Sunday 5th February 2023 by Chris Ulliott.

Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme report no.YORYM-59523A.
Accompanied by a hand written signed letter from the finder explaining the circumstances of finding.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11897-207827.

Hanging-bowls are high-status vessels with origins in the Roman period which continued in use only in Britain and, later, in Ireland. They appear in burial contexts which date them to the sixth to late seventh century. The form of this example is paralleled by the bowl from Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk (British Museum accession number 1984,0103.9) which has a similar shape and kite-shaped escutcheons secured by three rivets (Bruce-Mitford, 2005, Corpus No. 86).
Of Martin's Group 4 with rectangular headplate and florid face-masks to the three edges and conical eyes, deep bow with with square central panel, footplate with square lateral lappets, triangular face-mask finial with conical eyes; pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse; gilded surface abraded. 182 grams, 17 cm

Found Scampton, Lincolnshire, UK.
From the private collection of Alan Harrison, circa 2000.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11898-204375.

Cf. Martin, T., The Cruciform Brooch and Anglo-Saxon England, Woodbridge, 2015, p.78-9.

Leahy, K., The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey, Stroud, 2007, pl.7.

The florid type of cruciform brooch stands at the end of the series and probably dates to the middle of the 6th century according to the most recent discussion (Martin, 2015). The present example has a close parallel in the find from Duston, Northamptonshire, which Martin assigns to his Type 4.7.1, among the very last (or most fully developed) group in the seriation. The headplate, bow and footplate each have a square panel of Style I zoomorphic ornament within a thick frame; the headplate features blocks of billeting to three edges and punched triangular ornament on the frame, which also appears on the lateral edges of the finial. The conical eyes on the facing masks are an unusual and very distinctive feature which would have made casting the brooch a technical challenge. There is some evidence for silvering on the flat rectangular surfaces (T-shaped on the headplate and rectangular on the lappets and finial). The openwork masks on the headplate develop into profile bird-heads. This brooch was recovered by a metal-detectorist in several pieces over a period of some years, and re-assembled. It was published by Leahy in his authoritative work on the Kingdom of Lindsey.
Of Hines's Group X with two discs on the headplate in a rectangular frame surrounded by a frieze of facing human masks, and another mask placed centrally above the junction with the bow; shallow bow with three ribs; curved horse-head lappets flanking a vertical shank with facing mask detailing, discoid lobes and an inverted mask below; pin-lugs to the reverse and solder-scar where the catchplate was attached. 128 grams, 14 cm

Found near Grimsby, Humberside, UK, circa 2010.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11899-204377.

Cf. Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, pl. 101(a); Franceschi, G., Jorn, A. & Magnus, B., Mennesker, Guder og Masker i Nordisk Jernalderkunst, vol.1, Borgen, 2005; Mortimer, P., Woden's Warriors - Warriors and warfare in 6th-7th century Northern Europe, Ely, 2011.

The brooch has many of the characteristics of Hines's Group X but also bears a strong resemblance to an unclassified example from Barrington A, Cambridgeshire (Hines, 1997, pl.101). The frieze of facing masks which forms the border to the headplate has echoes of contemporary motifs found on the headplate of the brooch from Fridaythorpe (Hines, 1997, pl.8(b)) and the crests of helmets such as Valsgarde mounds 5 and 7 (Sweden) - see Mortimer, 2011, p.32-35). The inverted mask on the finial echoes the 7th century shield-fitting from Vall, Gotland (Franceschi et al, 2005, pl.209). The significance of the mask motifs has been discussed in the cited works of Franceschi et al and Mortimer. A link to generations of deified ancestors is one possibility.
Lot No. 0330
5
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Of Hines's Group XX with square headplate bearing concentric bands of billets, undulating lines and punched points, with vesica motifs to the upper corners; thick shallow bow with central rib, isosceles triangle footplate with horse-head lappets and flanking lobes with concentric rings, ropework bands and central vesica, disc finial with ropework border; pin-lugs to the reverse and broad catch. 136 grams, 13.5 cm

Found near Grimsby, Humberside, UK, circa 2010.

Cf. Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, pl.78(a).

The brooch shows a restrained use of low-relief detailing confined to largely geometric features other than the horse-heads at the shoulders and the single facing mask on the headplate above the junction with the bow. The bow itself is very thick and displays a prominent median rib with just a suggestion of outer ribs. The mineral deposits on the reverse bear the imprint of the textile to which the brooch was attached.
Of Hines's Group X with rectangular headplate featuring low-relief bird-heads and a raised piriform mask to each upper corner; shallow bow with raised ribs and a stud to the centre; triangular footplate with coiled horse-head lappets forming the shoulders, lateral lobes (one detached) with sheet-silver surface, inverted facing mask to the finial; remains of ferrous pin and catch to the reverse. 100 grams, 14.5 cm

Found near March, Cambridgeshire, UK, circa 2015.

Cf. Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, pl.33(b).

A close match to the features of the March brooch is not recorded in Hines's corpus, but the very distinctive isosceles triangle footplate with sharp shoulders appears on the example from Little Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire (Hines's pl.33(b). The facing masks in the upper corners of the headplate also appear on an example from Driffield (Hines, 1997, pl.82(a).
Of Hines's Group I with border of facing masks to the headplate, two discs within incised frames and raised mask between; shallow bow with three ribs, the median one with a central boss and extending to a small beast-head between the curled horse-head lappets; lozenge-shaped footplate with ropework border and facing bearded mask, lateral lobes and lobe finial with an inverted facing mask; applied silver-sheet detailing to the edges of the footplate; remains of pin-lugs and catch to the reverse. 114 grams, 14.5 cm

Found Scampton, Lincolnshire, UK.
From the private collection of Alan Harrison, circa 2000.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11900-204376.

Cf. Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, pl.9(a), for type.

Leahy, K., The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey, Stroud, 2007, pl.8.

An exact parallel for the Scampton brooch is not known, as is typical for these hand-items made by lost-wax casting processes in one-piece moulds. The brooch falls within Hines's Group I and shares many features with an example from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (Hines, 1997, no.13) although the latter has a Style I panel on the headplate whereas the Scampton example features two raised discs within incised squares, a feature also found on finds from Duston (and Linton Heath (Hines, 1997, pl.11)). This brooch was recovered by a metal-detectorist in several pieces over a period of some years, and re-assembled. It was published by Leahy in his authoritative work on the Kingdom of Lindsey.
Lot No. 0333
8
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
Of Hines's Group XIII with running scrolls on the headplate surrounded by a border of beast-masks, deep bow with raised ribs, curved horse-head lappets and lateral lobes with facing masks, median panel of Style I ornament; remains of ferrous pin to the reverse and deep catch; some silver detailing; finial absent. 77.9 grams, 11.5 cm

Found near Thetford, Norfolk, UK, circa 2010.

Cf. Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, pl.42(a).

This brooch falls within Hines's Group XIII and shares many features with an example from Nassington, Northamptonshire. The headplate bears a raised rectangular frame (possibly silvered) separating the inner scroll motif from the outer band of animal-masks which are pierced along the inner edge; the lappets are also pierced at the point of junction with the footplate. The lateral lobes feature facing masks of a helmetted type similar to those featured on contemporary button brooches.
Lot No. 0334
10
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,106
Of Romanesque style with hollow reverse to the body, catch behind the neck and hinged pin to the reverse; modelled in the half-round. 8.3 grams, 28 mm

Acquired early 1990s.
From an East Anglian private collection.

Cf. Zarnecki, G., Holt, J. & Holland, T., English Romanesque Art 1066-1200, London, 1984, item 256, for similar treatment of a zoomorphic form.

Featuring a large circular die face and hexagonal stem, with collars and pierced quatrefoil handle, incised orientation star to edge; the die bearing a knightly device of a helmet with chaplet on canted shield of arms bearing three bull's heads cabossed and chevron with surrounding ' LE * S * ROBERTI * LE CONTES' legend. 38.9 grams, 34 mm

Found near Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, circa 2008.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11901-204414.

'Sigillum Roberti le Contes ' is 'seal of Count Robert'. Three bulls' heads appear on the arms of the Beverley family. The chaplet or 'cap of maintenance' is a stylised fur-lined cap which appears in the heraldry of leading families; the helm of the Black Prince in Canterbury Cathedral is made with a chaplet and a lion standing on the rim.
Oil on board devotional panel in a gilt wooden frame; the Virgin in a bottle-green gown with gilt collar and cream undershift, crimson mantle; the naked Christ supported on his mother's left hip, his left foot clasped in the interleaved fingers of her right hand; textured gilt field; attributed to a follower of Dirk Bouts. 2.8 kg, 57 cm high

Collection of Henri and Suzanne Paradis since circa 1967.
From the sale of their collection at Deburaux, 4 July 2015, lot 19.
Ex central London gallery.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11902-207281.

Lot No. 0338
13
Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
The figure carved with naturalistic facial features, wearing a hooded cowl; remains of the hooded springer to the top of the head and reverse; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 4.65 kg, 28.5 cm including stand

Ex Simmons Gallery, London E11, UK.
Ex London collection, 1980s-1990s.

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