Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1770
Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Mount with Wolf-Men
6TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (9.08 grams, 32 mm).
The majority of a mount bearing dense and enigmatic imagery recalling half-remembered legends which were already ancient when it was made; the obverse packed with a tangled mass of bands of detailed ornament which resolves itself into human (or divine?) figures, each gripping the ankles of the other, their bodies inverted and contorted in the classic Style I chip-carved fashion; the centre with a round cell, into which a flat-cut glass cloison is set, polished to reflect the light and to shimmer with blood-red brilliance.
Provenance
Found Wiltshire, UK.
Wiltshire gentleman, 2011.
TimeLine Originals, 2000s.
Property of an East Anglia gentleman.
Accompanied by a report by Anglo-Saxon and Viking specialist S. Pollington.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.10381-168115.
Literature
See MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 25.6, for type.
Footnotes
Anglo-Saxon and Viking specialist Stephen Pollington writes: '...the scene presented may illustrate a legend or myth of which no record survives. That said, the execution of the piece is consistent with high-status Anglo-Saxon metalwork of the 6th century, and the quality of the gilding is remarkably high. The iconography is at present unique but entirely within the Anglo-Saxon tradition.'
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
.jpg)
Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Pin Terminal
8th-9th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £358
Lozengiform in profile with voids in the spandrels and central cross with pelta finial, overlapping scaled developing to scrolls, applied stud at the central junction; lateral lugs pierced to accept connecting chains; vesica-shaped leaves to the base above bulbous junction with the pin (absent). 10.2 grams, 46 mm
Found near Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK. From an old private collection of Norfolk, UK, gentleman, formed since 1998. Accompanied by a copy of UK Detector Finds Database (UKDFD) report no.57990.
Dress pins of this type were worn in sets of three connected with chains or thongs. -
Saxon Bronze Clothes Fastener
Circa 8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Discoid plaque with lateral attachment loops, sturdy hook, Y-shaped Trewhiddle Style ornament. 1.91 grams, 23 mm
Acquired on the European art market since the early 2000s. From the private Northern Ireland collection of R.M. -
.jpg)
Irish Early Christian Gilt-Bronze Drinking Horn Terminal
6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,040
Slender in form and gently curved, formed as the head and neck of a crane with narrow beak and inset glass eyes; baluster to the rear and multilinear curved bands. 11 grams, 43 mm
Found near Thetford, Norfolk, UK, circa 2018. Property of a private collector, West London, UK.
