Byzantine Inscribed Lead Spindle Whorl

Bifacial lead plaque with figurative decoration: obverse with Saint George, nimbate, on his horse killing a fallen foe with his spear; 'ΓΕΟΡΓ' label above the horse's neck, raised border with pellets and pellet clusters; reverse with relief pattern of a double circle decorated with double arcs forming a cross pellet to the centre. 48.8 grams, 64 mm



Private collection Mr S.A., Switzerland, before 1992, thence by descent.

According to the Christian tradition, Saint George would have lived between the end of the 3rd century and the beginning of the 4th century: born into a noble Christian family, he became an officer in the Roman army and was then named a prefect by Diocletian. But when the same emperor decided to resume the persecutions, Saint George became a victim despite his important political rank. His role in the development of the faith is so important that he is included among the Great Martyrs of the Eastern Church and his fight against the dragon becomes a symbol par excellence of the fight for Good which defeats Evil. In the Christian symbolism of the Middle Ages, the circle, a perfect geometric shape which has neither beginning nor end, designates the universe whose centre is the source and thus evokes Jesus, the man-light.

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.

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. 33.02 grams, 55 mm



Acquired 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.