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LOT 0850
Byzantine Silver Cross Brooch
CIRCA 6TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/8 in. (5.27 grams, 28 mm).
Shaped as an equal-armed cross, surface decorated with pellet-in-circles, catch and fastening pin on the back; polished. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market.
Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.
Cf. Wamser, H., Die Welt Von Byzanz-Europas Ostliches Erbe, Germany, 2004, p.276, no.426, for a very similar example.
FootnotesThe cross fibulae was part of a Roman female costume in the Mediterranean and in the regions around the Mediterranean. They were used to close the cloak at chest height.
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:
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Byzantine Ribbed Glass Cosmetic Bottle
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
The translucent globular body with raised ribs running vertically around the equator, with everted neck and mouth. 29 grams, 72 mm
Ex Coincraft, London WC1. Ex private Merseyside, UK, collection. Accompanied by a Coincraft certificate of authenticity. -
Byzantine Gold Ring with Engraved Cross Gemstone
6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,111
With baluster detailing to the shoulders, ellipsoid bezel with decorative band to the cell wall, inset garnet cabochon with intaglio design of a cross beneath a wreath and dish below. 3.35 grams, 21.60 mm overall, 19.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11865-206975. -
Byzantine Geometric Floor Mosaic
Circa 6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,600
Comprising a triple geometric rhomboidal figure, where three rhombuses are drawn one inside the other and distinguished by different shades of yellow, white and light red, the latter figure marked in the centre by a white space; the three figures are vertically arranged in a perfect geometric axis on a light background. 36.3 kg, 114.5 cm including frame
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11823-207411.
The tendency to use abstract and geometric motifs characterises the mosaic art of the Levant under the domination of Byzantium. Close ties can be identified between these rhomboidal figures and those of some of the famous Lebanese mosaics of Beit el Dine, or the mosaics of Tiberias and Hammat, which represent the last expression of Roman art in that area before the Islamic conquest.
