Auction Highlights
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Egyptian Relief with List of Offerings
Sold for (Inc. bp): £18,200
A section of tomb wall with a central register of eight rectangular panels each containing hieroglyphs naming offerings for the deceased; the top and bottom groups of eight rectangular panels each contain a depiction of a kneeling offering-bearer; all carved in high-relief; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Greek Red-Figure Hydria with Combat Scene Between Amazons and Greek or Trojan Heroes
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
The vessel with integral round-section upward-facing handles, a third, round-section handle placed vertically between shoulder and upper neck to rear; laurel sprigs to the neck with traces of gilding; combat scene with Amazons (and Trojans?) below, armed with short swords and crescent shields, most wearing an exomis leaving the shoulder and one breast uncovered; volute palmettes below both side-handles, a panel of tiered and swirling volutes to the rear, all on a band of egg-moulding, repeated around the rim; possibly Apulian or Campanian; restored. -
Greek Silver Wine Strainer
Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Composed of a shallow bowl and broad flange rim, two integral scalloped handles with scrolled flourishes, tapering to a loop handle with swan head terminals each with incised eye and beak detailing; perforated whirl within roundel to interior base; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. -
Eastern Roman Bust of the Daughter of Aqima
Sold for (Inc. bp): £37,700
Modelled in the round with a fragment of stand to the rear; the figure carefully carved to exhibit the delicate facial features and elaborate hairstyle; the palla drawn up over the head and falling over the shoulders to the upper arms; a diadem to the brow with foliage and tendril detailing; elaborate earrings with dangles; necklace of fusiform and tubular beads and a longer one below with piriform plaques; large disc brooch to the left breast with dangles; peplos-style dress draped across the body beneath the palla; left arm bent and hand passing across the body to grasp the hem of the palla with a herringbone bracelet at the wrist; the palla displayed pinned with rosettes to the rear panel; with inscription of thirteen Palmyrene characters above the left shoulder 'NRW' // BRT // 'QM' // ḤBL' meaning 'daughter of Aqima'; traces of red and green pigment; mounted on a custom-made stand by Colin Bowles Ltd. -
Eastern Roman Mosaic Depicting a Bird
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a bird advancing with head bowed, with banded frame. -
Roman Marble Head of a Germanic Warrior
Sold for (Inc. bp): £28,600
Modelled naturalistically in the round, directing his gaze upwards left, the eyes with sculpted pupils originally decorated with stone insertions, his face framed by voluminous short curls swept up off the forehead, sideburns and a moustache. -
Eastern Roman Mosaic Depicting a Bird
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
In a rectangular matrix; cream, olive, pink and other tesserae depicting a perching bird with rosette above. -
Monumental Byzantine Limestone Chi Rho Roundel
Sold for (Inc. bp): £36,400
Divided into six sections by Christogram letters chi and rho, two of the segments with Greek letters alpha and omega, the other four segments with floral ornaments; a laurel wreath to the edge; mounted on a custom-made display stand. -
Old Babylonian Clay Cuneiform Tablet, a Letter From a Local Governor in Arrapha to His Colleague in Ešnunna,
Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Written across two principal faces and three side edges, reading: 1-2) Say to Zakur-ahum, thus says Uzazza, your brother. 3) I have read the tablet you sent me. You wrote to me as follows: 4-5)'Five nomadic Suteans plundered the district of Zippat and I sent a troop. 6-7) I drove them back. I prevented them from taking anything. 7-8) So this troop left empty-handed. It is to be feared that they will go to the land of Arrapha and raise havoc, take action!' 11) This is what you wrote to me, and I rejoiced greatly. 12) In your tablet is written:'500 nomadic Suteans'. 13) Now, your servants whom you sent to me told me this: 14) 'A troop of 1,500 men has come. 15) Among them were many men with bows.'16 This is what they told me. Now never 17) have there been archers among the nomad-Suteans. 18) Is it not to be feared that the heavily-equipped 19) part of a foreign army is here itself comprising the nomad-Suteans with their bows? 20) The (result of the) divination I found said: 'Fire will devour the base of the reed.' 21) [...] its ... will not reach me. 22-23) [Now], shall I rejoice over the heavily equipped troop (that is) there? 24) [...]. 25-26) Now investigate this troop. 26-27) Send a full report urgently one way or the other, 28-29) so that I may circulate [a swift messenger] so that 29-30) the whole country may be gathered [in my fortresses] and so that I may take action. 31-33) Moreover, earlier, nomadic Suteans assaulted the palace cowherds one evening and 33-34) carried away all the cows from the palace. They left nothing behind. 35-36) There are none left, including the cows they had been entrusted with that evening. The next day, 37) a rescue troop (sent) by Ašrum, in pursuit of them 38) went as far as the banks of the Euphrates, but 39 returned empty-handed. 39) Another thing, 40) concerning what you wrote to me: 41-42) 'Looters set up a siege instrument- kalbanatum against a fortified farm and killed people. In addition, they carried off ten oxen. 43) And Ašrum went in there. Check that 44 their oxen no longer disappear.' This is what you wrote to me. 45-46) Now, shall I rejoice in this matter, or shall I [not] [...] them [...]. 47-48) Now, is there a plunderer who can plunder on my watch? Now, when I hear (about them) 49-50) and as soon as I send a message, do I not put them on the pal? No doubt 51-52) these people are foreigners, but you consider them to be Arrapha inhabitants! Now, precisely according to what you've written to me, 53-54) I'm going to send a fast messenger to the very interior of Arrapha and carry out a check. ; repaired. -
Uruk Clay Pictographic Tablet Bearing an Economic Text Relating to Farm Produce
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
Written over two faces; lentoid cross-section. -
Italic Bronze Triple-Disc Cuirass
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,360
Matched pair of Samnite triangular breast and backplates, a suite of 'triple-disc' type, each with three repoussé panels with carinated rim, flat spandrel above and curved on the lower sides, with perforated edges to affix to a separate mail garment; rivetted loops to the shoulders for attachment of supporting straps, and similar lateral loops with portion of round-link chain in situ; mounted on a custom-made stand. -
Roman Bronze Legionary Helmet with Inscription
Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,100
Montefortino helmet with bulbous domed skull and a plain crest knob with flattened top; plain and flat neck guard with thickened rim; the front with punched Latin inscription 'A N CFN'; the surface largely covered in marine encrustations; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. -
Exceptional Neolithic Flint Dagger
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
Finely knapped lentoid-section dagger with lateral recesses and square butt; old collector's label '281'. -
Massive Stone Age British Bifacial Lanceolate Flint Handaxe
Sold for (Inc. bp): £10,400
Long blade with small portion of cortex at the upper end, sharply tapering point with edges worked from both sides. -
Viking Age or Earlier Hacked Gold Trade Ingot
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
A slightly bent irregular bar of hacked gold with rectangular cross-section, showing evidence of compression and fracture to each end, some subtle transverse lines on both of the main surfaces. -
Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Three-Dimensional Urnes Stirrup Apex Mount
Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,500
The substantial heater-shaped plaque with spectacular openwork Urnes style design, the standing beast with entwined tendrils, pronounced head at the apex, narrow ledge to the reverse and rivet holes to each corner with two rivets remaining. -
Medieval Glass Beaker with Prunts
Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
Of tubular form with flared rim and applied collar to the foot, applied trails to the sidewall and four rows of prunts with applied blue-glass ornament. -
Medieval Gold Ring Set with Gemstones
Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
With a slender D-section hoop, bevelled rectangular cell set with a garnet cabochon; satellite settings at the corners, each with a green cabochon (one absent), the ring preserved in the same condition as it was when found. -
'The Fressingfield' Medieval Gold Ring with Diamond
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
With plain circular hoop and square diamond-shaped bezel with replicant natural diamond crystal. -
'The Wingham' Gold 'Fortune Favours the Brave' Posy Ring
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Broadly rectangular in cross-section and constructed from two sheets of gold; the external hoop carrying an etched decorative design comprised of a row of eight-armed stars in relief with a prominent horizontal line connecting the stars; the internal hoop with Latin inscription in block capitals reading '+FORTES FORTVNA IVVAT' translating to 'fortune favours the brave/strong'; straightened.
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Large Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Seal Matrix for John the Clerk of Hilgay
Circa 13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
With central 'pelican in her piety' motif, linear border and legend '+ S' IOH'IS. CŁCI. DE.HELEGEIA.' (seal of John the clerk of Hilgay); strap and loop to the reverse. 12.5 grams, 39 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
Hilgay is a parish in Norfolk, near Downham Market. -
Large Medieval Bronze Oval-Shaped Seal Matrix with 'Saint John, Pray for Me'
Circa 15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Chessman seal with tapering shank and trefoil loop above, image of a robed and bearded saint holding a disc with a kneeling figure praying at his feet, all within an ornate arch with crocketting and 'MARIA' legend below, pelletted border; legend 'SCA IOH'ES ORA. PRO. ME' (Saint John, Pray for me). 22.4 grams, 30 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Large Medieval Bronze Round Seal Matrix for Mark, Matthew, Luke, John
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Chessman matrix with tapering shank, gusseted collar, openwork trefoil and loop above; escutcheon with Mary and Infant Jesus and kneeling supplicant within a rosette; legend to the border 'MARCVS MAT[..]VS LVCAS IOHNIS' (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John). 29.8 grams, 41 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Silver Round Seal Matrix of Robert Doggett
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,600
Discoid seal with strap and loop to the reverse; central wolf-like dog rampant surrounded by a legend between two pelletted bands: '+SIGILL[V]M : ROBERTI : DOGET' (seal of Robert Doggett). 7.4 grams, 23 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
A 'Roberto Doget de Wytlebur' witnesses a charter of 1294 A.D., no.03590381 of the Luffield Priory Charters, Buckinghamshire. -
Medieval Silver Round Seal Matrix with Sleeping Lion
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,160
Discoid plaque with strap and loop to the reverse; central motif of flowers and a sleeping lion within a pelletted border; legend: '* S' BRIEN . MACTAYG . YBRIEYN'. 6.8 grams, 21 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
An interesting example of an Irish personal name. -
Medieval Bronze Round Seal Matrix for Jacob
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With central 'flower and crescent' motif, linear border and legend '* S' IACOBI ALFVEMESLIRC' (seal of Jacob ....); tapering shank and loop to the reverse. 12.9 grams, 22 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Bronze Round Seal Matrix with Hail Mary and Jesus
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With central motif of three figures in a boat with crescent and star above, pelletted border and legend '* AVE MARIA IESVS' (Hail Mary [and] Jesus); tapering shank and trefoil loop above. 9.58 grams, 24 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Bronze Round Seal Matrix with 'I am a Strong Lion'
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Chessman seal with central 'lion rampant' motif, linear border and legend '* SVM LEO FORTIS' (I am a strong lion); tapering shank and trefoil loop above. 10.9 grams, 24 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Bronze Round Seal Matrix for John Monk of Hoxne
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
With central 'Virgin and Child' motif, linear border and legend '+ S' IOH'IS. DE. HO+ON MOCHI' (seal of John of Hoxne, monk); tapering shank, bulb and trefoil loop above. 16.4 grams, 30 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
The place name may refer to Hoton, Leicestershire or more likely Hoxne, Suffolk. -
Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Seal Matrix with a Bird
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
With central motif of a bird wearing the confessor's stole and holding an aspergillum in one foot, legend to the border '*CONFITEOR TIBI ABSOLVO TE' (I confess to you; I absolve you). 7.59 grams, 29 mm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
A fox - the penitent - lurks below the confessor, here depicted as a bird (duck?) wearing the confessor’s stole and holding a sprinkler for holy water in one foot. The confessor is about to become the fox’s next meal. This is an important addition to the repertoire of renardine satire – the fox-as-preacher to a congregation of birds (often with a couple already stashed in his hood behind) is a common motif in several media. On seal WILT-41EDE6, for example, he stands (with crozier) preaching to a duck and cockerel, but this is the first example of him coming to confession – with malice aforethought, of course. -
Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Seal Matrix with Virgin and Child
Circa 13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With central 'Virgin and Child' motif and head of supplicant beneath, pelletted border and legend '* AVE MARIA GRACIA PL' (Hail Mary [full of] grace); strap and loop to the reverse. 6.82 grams, 30 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Seal Matrix for Henry of Thorp
Circa 13th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
With central St. Michael slaying the dragon with cross-topped lance motif motif, pelletted border and legend '+ S' HENRICI DE THOR[P]' (seal of Henry of Thorp); strap and loop to the reverse. 12.4 grams, 32 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
The placename may be Thorpe Market, Norfolk.