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LOT 1442
Chinese Jin Jurchen Warrior Signed Suit of Iron Plate Armour
1224 A.D.
1 1/8 - 4 1/4 in. (8.5 kg total, 3-11.1 cm).
A complete suite of rectangular iron plates to form a protective coat; the plates provided with a series of holes close to the long edges by which they were laced together into articulating panels; one plate with inscription in Chinese script recording: 'first month of the Datong era / control of the propagation of Armour. Yanhui'. [894, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
Accompanied by a positive archaeometallurgy report by Dr Brian Gilmour PhD, Dip Cons, FSA, FCIFA, FRMS.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12051-216403.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Thordeman, B., Armour from the battle of Wisby, 1361, Malmo, 1939 (London, 2001), pp.245-264; Artemyeva, N., Prokopets, S., ‘Defensive weapons of the Jurchen warrior’ in Russian Archaeology, No. 1-2012, pp.129-142.
FootnotesThe Datong Era (大同, 1224–1233) is a name used for the reign of Puxian Wannu, a Jurchen warlord who established the Eastern Xia Dynasty in 13th century China. However, the war with the Jurchen states took more than 30 years: having first invaded the Jurchen borders in 1211, the Mongols finally defeated the Jin Empire only in 1234, while the Eastern Xia fell in 1246.
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LOT 1442
Chinese Jin Jurchen Warrior Signed Suit of Iron Plate Armour
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000€4,640 - 6,960 (for guidance only)$5,400 - 8,100 (for guidance only)
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Mixed Military and Other Artefact Collection
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Including tailor's chalk, French military medal with ribbon and plate 'Mlaic 1976', square-section clout nails, bone-handled folding fork and corkscrew and other items. 415 grams total, 3.3-10.9 cm
From the private collection of author and historian Dr DeWitt Bailey, one of the global authorities on the confederate army in the US civil war; thence by descent to his grandson. -
Reproduction Button Collection
20th century A.D.Estimate: £20 - 30 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Including reproductions of British Royal Artillery [10 pieces], 8th (The King's) Regiment Foot [7 pieces], Butler's Rangers [40 pieces] and others plain [15 pieces]. 561 grams total, 15-24 mm
From the private collection of author and historian Dr DeWitt Bailey, one of the global authorities on the confederate army in the US civil war; thence by descent to his grandson. -
Merovingian Iron Pattern-Welded Sword
Circa 6th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £400
A double-edged spatha with a lentoid parallel-sided blade and pointed tip; evidence of battle nicks on both cutting edges; long tang and traces of wooden scabbard on the blade; signs of damask pattern running along the length of the blade, especially on the upper part; cleaned and conserved. 694 grams, 86.5 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12919-245174.
Usually the term ‘damascened’ is only used for blades, describing the way in which their individual rods are forged to create a desired pattern effect that remained visible on the surfaces of the finished product (technique B.II.1.2.). The shape and regularity of the pattern was essentially dependent on the number and nature of the individual rods and on the skills of the blacksmith. The scholars differentiate on this basis more or less careful and complicated variants (e.g. striped, diamond, herringbone, angular, rosette, mosaic, etc.), in which the individual rods from different iron lamellae, which are parallel or twisted (torsion pattern-welding), were built up often in connection with each other (technique B.II.1.2.1-2). Combining striped rods that were partially straight and partially twisted - clockwise or counter-clockwise - allowed the formation of a very decorative blade.
