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LOT 0214
Byzantine Bronze Empress Mount
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
3 3/4 in. (192 grams, 97 mm).
Formed in the half-round as a youthful female bust, a cross in the middle of the high hair arrangement (propoloma).
ProvenanceEx law professor in Alexandria, prior to 1930.
Ex collection of M. Bouvier, Switzerland (1901-1980).
Private collection, UK.
Cf. Bogdanović, J., Sinkević, I., Mihaljević, M., Marinkovic, C., Series: Art and Material Culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, Leiden-New York, 2023, figs.1.6,1.7, for bronze busts of empresses; cf Wamser, L., Die Welt von Byzanz - Europas Östliches Erbe, München, 2004, fig.355, for a 6th-7th century A.D. Roman example of a tripod with busts.
FootnotesThe image of the Roman empress during the late Roman Empire was connected to Christianity by the figure of the Empress Helena. Constantine had several cities renamed Helenopolis in honour of his mother, Helena, and she gained the political verification of power with the status nobilissima femina in 318 A.D. and the rank of Augusta in 324 A.D. Alongside her social and political image, Helena also had a significant reputation as a good Christian who was a patron and took care of poor people. Owing to this powerful religious image that was created, all other Christian women during the Eastern Roman Empire were encouraged spiritually by the fact that Helena was the mother of the first Christian emperor, and the image of the Roman empress was connected to the Christian image of the Mother of God, and represented on weights, bronze appliques and, in this case, maybe as an upper mount of a tripod.
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LOT 0214
Byzantine Bronze Empress Mount
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
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Byzantine Bronze Ring with Warrior Saint
12th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Slender hoop with scooped shoulders, a hexagonal bezel with a stylised warrior holding a long spear. 3.24 grams, 21.80 mm overall, 17.61 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
This category of rings had a hexagonal-rounded chaton raised above the link. Conforming to the iconography of the Orthodox countries under the influence of Byzantium, the possible decoration was related to the military saints. -
Byzantine Steatite Icon with Military Saint
10th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,000
Fragment of an icon depicting a facing saint modelled in the half-round within an arch; an ellipsoid low-relief face with hatched collar-length hair, lentoid eyes with pointillé pupils flanking a long nose; wearing a lamellar cuirass (klivanion); stylised sword (spathion) to the shoulder with lobe pommel, piriform blade with hatched median bar and undulations to the flanks (simulating damascening); arch resting on a balustered column with shallow fixing socket above the saint's head; mounted on a custom-made stand. 60 grams total, icon: 72 mm high
Jacques and Henriette Schumann collection, Paris, France. with Christie's, Paris, France, 30 September 2003, no.248. European private collection. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.061301, dated 3 September 2003. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12690-234660. 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.
Jacques and Henriette Schumann were distinguished Parisian collectors known for their discerning taste and passion for antiquities and decorative arts. Their collection, assembled over several decades, reflected a deep appreciation for cultural heritage and historical significance. Works from their collection have been included in major European auctions and are recognised for their provenance and quality. -
Byzantine Gilt Bronze Horse Harness Decoration Set
8th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,495
Comprising: a large octofoil harness frontal plate with beaded rim and granulation; studs with quatrefoil plates; bell-shaped dangles. 556 grams total, 11-92 mm
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.12687-234699.
