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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Medieval Knight's Enamelled Bronze 'Rochefort Family' Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
On a heater-shaped shield with pierced loop at the apex, three horizontal bars with the remains of red enamel; possibly descended from Rochefort de Chars of Gasc. 10.05 grams, 39.64 mm
Found Norfolk, UK, circa 1990s. -
Medieval and Later Artefact Group
Circa 15th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Mixed group including lead-alloy spindlewhorls, bag-seals, musket balls, iron knife-blades and other items. 510 grams total, 0.6-16.5 cm
From a Northampton, UK, collector. -
Medieval Silver Ring with Anchor Cross
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Discoid integral bezel with low-relief anchor motif. 4.55 grams, 21.38 mm overall, 18.26 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
From the collection of a High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman, circa 2000. -
Medieval Knight's Bronze Enamelled Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant with Castle Tower
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £140
Square plaque with pierced suspension lug above; hatched frame with round recess, heater-shaped panel with red enamel field and castle gate motif. 13.3 grams, 45 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.
Possibly the arms of the kingdom of Castille which were adopted in 1175 according to local legend: blazoned 'Gules a triple-towered castle Or masoned Sable and ajoure Azure'. -
Large Medieval Round Lead Seal Matrix of Richard
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
With strap to the rear and lug above, central quatrefoil and pelletted border, legend '+ S' : RICHRDI : [.].]NIHIC' (seal of Richard ...). 14.7 grams, 31 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Medieval Silver Shield-Shaped Ring with Crosses
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
With teardrop plaque and heraldic design of crosses potent flanking chevrons. 4.43 grams, 20.79 mm overall, 18.04 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
From the collection of a High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman, circa 2000. -
Medieval 'Thames' Pewter Spoon
Circa 15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
With broad, shallow bowl, narrow round-section handle, knop finial. 17.8 grams, 15.5 cm
Found on the Thames foreshore, London, UK, circa mid 1980s. Property of an Essex collector. -
Medieval 'Thames' Bifacial Pewter Wine Tavern Token
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Disc token with bird-and-cross motif to the obverse, hatched reverse. 0.65 grams, 16 mm
Found Billingsgate spoil from the Thames foreshore, London, UK, circa 1984. Property of an Essex collector. -
Medieval Gold Floral Cross Pilgrim's Mount
Circa 12th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
In sheet-gold with a loop to the reverse. 0.28 grams, 13 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Medieval Terracotta Pilgrim's Horn
Circa 15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Formed with a slightly curved profile and with suspension loops; buff-coloured. 298 grams, 26.5 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
Apart from badges as souvenirs of visits to various saints’ shrines, pilgrims might also bear away with them various noise-making items such as horns, whistles, rattles and bells. The miniature horn-shaped lead whistles known from London and Salisbury bear various inscriptions including bla me [blow me] and ave maria. In the contemporary ‘morality’ play Mankind (c.1465-70) of East Anglian provenance, the character Nought says I kan pype in a Walsyngham wystyll, which suggests that such souvenir whistles were available from the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham too, and that already such ‘tourist’ trinkets were regarded as a proverbial type of worthlessness, ‘not worth a whistle’, indeed. -
Anglo-Norman 'Thames' Bronze Dagger Chape
Circa 12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Openwork dagger sheath fitting, L-shaped border with figure of a mounted knight in a helm amid foliage; attachment points in the corner of the border. 8.05 grams, 39 mm
Found on the Thames foreshore, London, UK, circa mid 1980s. Property of an Essex collector. -
Large Medieval Lead Round Seal Matrix with Pentagram for Robert son of Wigmær
Circa 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
With pierced tag, central incised pentagram with impressed pellets, legend to the border ' + SIGIŁŁ ROBERTI FILI VVIMERI' (seal of Robert son of Wigmær). 27.2 grams, 52 mm
Found Southern England. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.