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LOT 2019
Chinese Archaic Style Bronze Vessel
20TH CENTURY A.D.
13 1/4 in. (3.2 kg, 34 cm high).
Square in section and piriform in profile with taotie masks supporting drop handles, domed lid with four dragon appliqués. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx West Country, UK, collection, 1990s, and Desmond Morris.
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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Very Large Glazed Bellarmine Witch's Bottle with Contents
Late 16th-early 17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,750
Vessel of squat spherical form with a broad cylindrical neck, strap handle and foot with rolled rim, bearded face (Bartmann 'mask') and other detailing; with original contents comprising: eight iron clout nails with square-section shank and domed head; three similar with flat head; base metal dress pin with hollow-formed spherical head; similar with biconvex head; fragment of coarse-woven textile with five pins in situ; thirteen unassociated pins. 1.7 kg total, bottle: 26.5 cm
From the private collection of a London, UK, gentleman.
Witch bottles were a response to the common belief in witchcraft, which was feared in the Puritan culture of those times. The process involved heating the victim’s urine in a bottle, mixed with human hair and metal nails and pins, sometimes inserted into a cloth panel representing the victim's heart. The bottle was then either buried under the hearth of a house (East Anglian tradition) or thrown into a river (London tradition). The heating of the bottle was supposed to transfer to the body of the witch who had caused the victim to be afflicted. -
Large Chinese Bronze Ewer for the Eastern Market
20th century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Tall slender neck with baluster collar, socket to the mouth and domed lid with knop handle; piriform body with fluting, trumpet-shaped foot; curved spout with dragon-head detail to mouth. 3.49 kg, 48.8 cm
Private collection, UK. -
Stuart Period Silver Seal Matrix with 'Hurrell Family' Heraldic Shield with Crossbows
England, 17th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
A silver chessman-type seal matrix with pierced trefoil head; central heraldic heater shield with three crossbows. 8.58 grams, 26 mm
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the English art market.
The surnames associated with this crest are: Hurell, Hurle or Hurrell.