Anglo-Saxon 'Thames' Iron Scramasax Knife

Comprising a rectangular headplate with two panels of chip-carved Style I ornament, flanking a beast-head with triangular muzzle and two pellet eyes, raised three-sided frame and outer band of pellets above beast-heads with lentoid eyes; the shallow bow with raised median rib, flanges to the edges and punched pellet detailing; footplate with beast-head between curved pellet lines, pierced horse-head lappets, lozengiform central panel with knot of Style I limbs; two lateral discs, one pierced to accept a stud and the other with a domed stud in place; the finial a disc with human mask inverted; pin-lug and part of catch to the reverse. 75 grams, 13.4 cm



Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Oving, near Chichester, West Sussex, UK, in 2001. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no. 200279.

The various elements of the brooch find similar counterparts on others in the series, such as the form of the bow which corresponds to those on brooches from Herpes (Pas-de-Calais, France) and Sarre (Kent) (Hines's plates 10, 11) and the outer band of masks on the headplate which can be found on a brooch from Tuddenham (Hines's plate 15).

Featuring two pierced lugs, recurved garment hook, beaded border, central boss on triangular panel with zoomorphic elements around. 19 grams, 52 mm



Found Norfolk, UK. Ex property of a UK gentleman.

Featuring a central boss and ribbed suspension loop; flat-section strips forming an expanding-arm cross, beaded wire collar to the boss, series of triangular punch marks to the outer border. 7.83 grams, 44 mm



By descent from a Russian noble family. From the collection of a North American gentleman.