Round-section hoop with applied granule trefoil to each shoulder, ellipsoid bezel with beaded wire collar, stepped cell, inset silver plaque with niello-filled design of a stylised portrait bust with legend above '+MISI[T]'; inked legend to reverse 'f20' and old Christie's tag. 8.50 grams, 23.40 mm overall, 19.15 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)

with Christies, sale 3498, 11 December 2014, lot 291.

Accompanied by an original Christie's lot tag.

Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 487, for type.

Tongue-shaped gold cell with applied bands of braided filigree, inset cabochon garnet; integral loop. 5.38 grams, 24 mm

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

Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 24.11, for similar.

Comprising a pelta-shaped panel pierced in three places to accept a rivet (one absent); obverse with low-relief Style II knotwork. 18.2 grams, 56 mm

Found Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
From an East Anglian private collection.

Cf. Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B., Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010, pl.51, for type.

Discoid plate with integral suspension loop secured at the reverse, symmetrical cruciform design of applied silver filigree coils and granule ornament. 5.68 grams, 44 mm

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

Cf. Kershaw, J.F., Viking Identities. Scandinavian Jewellery in England, Oxford, 2013, pl.5, for type.

A discoid silver pendant with integral loop, beaded border enclosing a low-relief niello image of a male facing mask between two birds embraced at the necks. 1.76 grams, 21 mm

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

Cf. Hammond, B. M., British Artefacts Volume 2 - Middle Saxon and Viking, p.57, item 1.5.3-f; Korshyn, V.E., Yazcheskye Priveski Drevnei Rusi X-XIV Vekov, Moscow, 2013, item M.2.02.

Discoid plate with integral suspension loop secured at the reverse, symmetrical design of applied silver filigree and clusters of granules. 3.12 grams, 30 mm

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

Cf. Kershaw, J.F., Viking Identities. Scandinavian Jewellery in England, Oxford, 2013, pl.5, for type.

With integral loop, border enclosing a low-relief image of a male facing mask between two birds embraced at the necks; Kipplingeberg type. 3.38 grams, 21 mm

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

Cf. Korshyn, V.E., Yazicheskiye Priveski Drevniye Rusi X-XIV Vekov, Moscow, 2013, item J.2.02.

With discoid base and four straps containing the sphere, attached to a narrow collar at the top with a suspension ring; punched decoration to the straps. 96.4 grams, 88 mm

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

Cf. similar set in gold in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.22.139.51.

Comprising a large sub-circular hoop with four evenly spaced ovate bezels giving an octagonal appearance to the hoop; the bezels with a moulded collar to each side and with a deeply incised symbol: one with a Trewhiddle style beast(?); the second with a symbol resembling lower case Omega sign; the third and fourth bezel with two upper case Omega symbols oriented horizontally with the bases at the centre of the bezel. 4.55 grams, 26.17 mm overall, 20.09 mm internal diameter (approximate size British U 1/2, USA 10 1/4, Europe 23.15, Japan 22)

Found whilst searching with a metal detector near North Yorkshire, UK, in 2020, by Mark Didlick.

Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-110C9F.

See Portable Antiquities Scheme no. YORYM-EA5D0E and HAMP-C25EF3, for earlier rings with ovate bezels.

With graduated silver wire coils to the shank, collection of free-running cosmetic grooming pendants comprising: pelta-shaped plaque, quadrant-shaped plaque, ear scoop, miniature hammer, tweezers. 28.75 grams total, bracelet 88.90 mm wide

Formerly acquired in the late 1950s.
From the family collection of a South East London collector.

Cf. Arbman, H. Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, pls.104-105, for similar bracelets with pendants; Fuglesang, S.H., ‘Viking and medieval amulets in Scandinavia’ in Fornvännen, Journal of Swedish Antiquarian research 1989, no. 84, pp.15-27, fig.2.

Miniature hammers occur in pre-Viking times both in Scandinavia and in England, but their number increased markedly in Viking Scandinavia. They are known in iron, bronze, occasionally amber, and, from the 10th century onward, silver. They are predominantly found in women's graves, while most of the silver examples come from hoards of the late 10th and 11th centuries.

Comprising: a flat-section bracelet with raised ribs; two bracelets each of twisted silver wire; group of five silver Dirhem coins, each mounted for use as a pendant. 71 grams total, 18-55 mm

From a South German collection.
Previously with Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany.
Ex New York Gallery, USA, November 2009.
Property of an important West London collector, inventory no.1122.

Comprising: ellipsoid loop with hollowed underside; tongue with D-shaped shield bearing stylised facing mask among pellets, waisted and curved over the forward edge of the loop; rectangular plate with applied sheet-gold triangular panels bearing repoussé rings, waves, points and other motifs, gold cellwork and segmented frame with garnet cloisons, a central garnet cabochon, segmented rim; four pierced attachment lugs to the reverse. 147 grams, 98 mm

From the collection of Adolphe Stoclet, 1871-1949.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12137-217046.

Cf. Menghin, W., The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007, items IX.3.1 & 2 (Badajoz, Spain); Heynowski, R., Bestimmungsbuch Archaeologie: Gürtel, Munich, 2017, type 8.4; MacGregor, A. et al., A Summary Catalogue of the Continental Archaeological Collections, Oxford, 1997.

Georges A. Salles and Daisy Lion-Goldschmidt, Adolphe Stoclet Collection (part I), Brussels, 1956, p.137 (d).

The buckle plate is large and impressive, while the loop is somewhat narrower and may have been replaced. The central cabochon is a feature of buckle plates from this period (e.g. Menghin, IX.3.1, IX.5.1). The tongue-shield is of an unusual type more often found in Frankish contexts (e.g. Menghin, VII.40.18, MacGregor 77.24, 77.25, 77.26) of the same period.