Loading, please wait...
LOT 0176
Byzantine Decorated Gold Belt Buckle
8TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/8 in. (33.02 grams, 55 mm).
Comprising a D-shaped plate with acanthus-leaf motif in low-relief, beaded wire band above the hinge, kidney-shaped rectangular-section loop, flat tongue with spur to the upper face; three mounting studs to reverse.
ProvenanceAcquired from Bernard Hern, 1970s.
From an old UK collection, 1970s-1980s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12113-217070.
Cf. Schulze-Dörrlamm, M., Byzantinische Gürtelschnallen und Gürtelbeschläge im Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum, Teil 2. Die Schnallen mit Scharnierbeschläg und Schnallen mit angegossenem Riemendurchzug des 7. bis 10. Jahrhunderts, Mainz, 2009, no.26, fig.4.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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.
LOT 0176
Byzantine Decorated Gold Belt Buckle
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000€4,640 - 6,960 (for guidance only)$5,400 - 8,100 (for guidance only)
-
Byzantine Bronze Cross Pendant
12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Cruciform with low-relief image of the crucifixion to one face. 5.4 grams, 44 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine Inscribed Lead Spindle Whorl
5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Discoid with central void and portion of the shank embedded; inscribed with Greek characters '+AEB Φ BEPETEAI'. 2.66 grams, 18 mm
Acquired on the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. From a gentleman's private collection.
Similar objects could have been manufactured to look like spindle whorls, while they were in fact used as beads and/or amulets. The current evidence may suggest that these items were burial goods for females. They are sometimes seen incised with Greek letters and symbols that seem to suggest a cryptic onomata barbara formula. In this context, they can be viewed as mystical objects with the function of transmitting a message to the Other World, and the sheer mass of letters intended to convey the idea of an authoritative communication inaccessible to ordinary human being. -
Byzantine Lead Cross
5th-7th century A.D.Estimate: £600 - 800 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
Flat-section cruciform mount with stub arms and attachment point at one end; high-relief saltires, hoops and other detailing. 357 grams, 21.5 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection since the late 1990s.
