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LOT 1706
Celtic to Medieval Bronze Ring Collection
1ST CENTURY B.C.-16TH CENTURY A.D.
3/4 - 1 in. (23.39 grams total, 20-25 mm).
Comprising: five rings with decorative bezels; a coiled ring with linear decoration. [6, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000.
From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. PAS no. DUR-00F326, for a similar Celto-Roman spiral ring, dated 200 BC-200 AD.
FootnotesThe collection includes one complete copper-alloy finger ring of late Iron Age to Roman date (200 BC - AD 200). It is coiled into a spiral of two and a half turns. Both extremities terminate in a square end with rounded corners.
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AUCTIONS:
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Celtic to Medieval Bronze Ring Collection
1st century B.C.-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £124
Comprising five rings with decorative bezels and one small faux-twist ring. 31.8 grams total, 14-28 mm
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The collection includes possible signet rings that find their parallels with artefacts from Eastern Europe, especially in the area of Smederevo. A 15th A.D. date, for some of them, can be proposed on the basis of parallels from the Balkans. -
Iberian Bronze Bull Statuette
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Modelled as a bridled and saddled bull, naturalistically rendered with well-defined facial planes, lending a vivid and expressive character to the figure; the edge of the saddle adorned with a delicate row of incised circles, broad hollowed out hooves. 48.6 grams, 54 mm long
Frank Sternberg collection, Zurich, 1980s. Private collection, acquired from Frank Sternberg in 1992. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss register certificate, dated 29 March 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12729-234223.
The statuette likely served as a votive offering (ex-voto) at a sanctuary or temple, and closely parallels numerous Iberian examples recovered from sacred sites in Alicante, Valencia, and particularly in Andalusia. In Iberian culture, the bull was a potent symbol of strength, virility, and martial power—frequently associated with warrior deities. The inclusion of a saddle and bridle suggests domestication, and it is plausible that such animals, being more docile than horses, may have been ridden or equipped in ritual or ceremonial contexts. -
British Celtic Bronze Ring with Concentric Design
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Flat-section hoop and a discoid bezel with a low-relief concentric circle motif, a raised pellet at the centre. 2.25 grams, 21.70 mm overall, 17.82 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)
Found Norfolk, UK. Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Similar types of Celto-Roman bronze rings were found in the Thames in spoil heaps dating to the 1st century A.D. The most prolific finger rings in use throughout the Roman occupation were in bronze, and some forms were borrowed from Celtic arts and patterns.
