Rectangular in section with a narrow rounded butt and asymmetrical curved edge; pitted surface; old collector's labels 'France (Bourgogne)', 'Saulieu, Côte d'Or', 'N15621'. 489 grams, 13 cm

Ex Hervé Bouraly, Saint Ouen, France, between 1965-1990.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. MacGregor, A. (ed.), Antiquities from Europe and the Near East in the Collection of Lord McAlpine of West Green, Oxford, 1987, item 5.24, for type.

A large and finely formed boat-shaped axe in a dark diorite with asymmetric convex cutting edge tapering, with pronounced ridge to upper surface copying a bronze casting seam, to shouldered and rounded hammer-butt, pierced to receive handle with projecting socket to underside. 912 grams, 23 cm

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

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12891-240326.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

See Glob, P. V., Danske Oldsager II, Yngre Stenalder, Copenhagen, 1952, no.333, for general form and no.486, for an example with collared butt.

Knapped and polished axehead with rounded body, narrow edge to the blade, butt formed as a bear's head with small ears; mounted on a custom-made stand. 647 grams, 17.7 cm (1.15 kg total, 18.5 cm including stand)

From the private family collection of a lady, UK; acquired in Germany mid 20th century.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12826-241077.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. Krainev D. A., The earliest history of the Volga-Oka interfluve. Fatyanovo culture, (in Russian), Moscow, 1972, fig.1,1, for similar polished axe.

The Fatyanovo culture developed on the north-eastern edge of the Middle Dnieper culture around 2900 BC, probably as a result of a mass immigration of Corded Ware people from Central Europe.

Pecked basalt surface, boat-shaped with straight cutting edge tapering to flat butt; drilled to receive handle; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.63 kg total including stand, axe: 19.2 cm

Found Cumbria, N.W. England.
Acquired on the UK art market.
From the private collection of an East Anglian, UK, specialist collector.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Finds of this type from the UK are uncommon.

Heater-shaped in profile with reserved low-relief brow, vertical bar nose, shallow socket mouth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 10.54 kg total, 30 cm high including stand

Acquired between the 1970s and 1980s.
From the private collection of John Watson, Cambridge, UK.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Lacework type with large spiral disc extending to a shank and finial spring returning to form the pin; three pairs of applied wire-coil lateral decorations attached with thick rectangular bands. 600 grams total, 28 cm high including stand

From the collection of Dr Guenther Wiedner, Bayern, Germany, 1980s to 2015.
Ex Gorny and Mosch, Munich, 22 July 2020, no.346.
From a private collection, Suffolk, UK.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12889-240250.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. Beck, H. et al., Fibel und Fibeltracht, Berlin, 2000, pp.37-9; Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Berlin accession no.II. 10421.

Modelled in the round with notches to the ridged back, sockets to the eyes, coiled tail. 98 grams, 50 mm

From the collection of a Hampshire, UK, gentleman, established from the 1960s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Ellipsoid in plan with raised wings folded to the back, sturdy neck, small head with large bill and domed lentoid eyes; pierced vertically for attachment. 37 grams, 53 mm

Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. similar items recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme with reference numbers SZ 40232 and BNG 86945.

Modelled in high-relief with billetted panels to the flank, bosses to the shoulder, hip and eye; pin-lug and catch to reverse. 8.71 grams, 31 mm

Acquired on the UK art market.
Property of an East Anglia private collector.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. Heeren, S. & van der Feijst, L., Fibulae uit de Lage Landen. Beschrijving, Analyse en Interpretatie van een Archeologische Vondstcategorie, Amersfoort, 2017, item 83k, for type.

Teardrop-shaped with central pierced dome and plate to revere, ribbed suspension loop; parcel-gilt and niello design of grooved border with scroll terminal, boss with looped scrolls. 29.6 grams, 78 mm

From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

In Romanesque style, cruciform with openwork cross at centre, three oval terminals and a fourth modelled as a hound's head, the beast's mouth forming the suspension loop. 7.88 grams, 40 mm

Acquired on the UK art market.
Property of an East Anglian private collector.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. Graham-Campbell, J. & Kidd, D., The Vikings, London, 1980, item 45, for similar silver pendant from Foss, Iceland; cf. Weidenfeld and Nicolson ed., English Romanesque Art 1066-1200, Hayward Gallery, London, 1984, 248-254; cf. TimeLine Auctions 21/2/17, lot 400, for similar.

The original function of this rare and unusual pendant remains elusive. The use of expensive materials and the fine and detailed casting indicate that it would have been a highly prized object. The fusion of Christian and pagan religious motifs is typical of Iceland where the worship of the old gods continued into the 11th century. The Christian cross was used as a symbol of the new faith but the pendant also includes elements of pre-Christian motifs. Comparable objects appeared in an exhibition of English Romanesque Art 1066-1200, held at the Hayward Gallery, London, 5 April - 8 July 1984. The catalogue for this exhibition illustrates numerous small metal and gilded articles with similar grotesque terminals- No. 254 illustrated a late 12th century finial from a shrine, which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (M.25 1962).

With trapezoidal headplate, shallow bow, narrow triangular foot and disc finial, pin-lugs in ferrous accretion and catch to the reverse; the headplate with angled scaphoid panels to the upper corners and band of billets enclosing a band of guilloche with Salin's Style I facing mask at the end of the bow; broad ribbed bow; lappets of Salin's Style I profile horse-heads flanking the junction of the bow with the footplate with small facing mask between the necks; vertical bar running to the finial, bisecting a cruciform panel with Salin's Style I zoomorphic forms; lateral plain lobes; finial comprising a disc connected to the vertical rib. 75 grams, 15 cm

Found Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire, UK.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12780-239463.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

See Hines, J., A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997, items 1(b) Alveston Manor, 32(a) Lakenheath IX (layout of headplate), 35(b) Little Wilbraham, 97a-b (Market Overton II and Beckford A11).

This magnificent brooch finds parallels with specimens derived from the group XVI-XVIII, according to Hines classification, from Market Overton II and Beckford A11. They represent, according to Hines, a transitional stage in the introduction of relief ornament into the headplate frame of brooches associated with group XVI.