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LOT 2080
Cylinder Seal Electrotype Group
LATE 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURY A.D.
1 - 1 7/8 in. (231 grams total, 27-47 mm).
Of academic interest, copper coated lead seal impressions taken from cylinder seals, containing various different motifs. [14, No Reserve]
ProvenancePossibly made by the British Museum.
From a West Country, UK, private collection.
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AUCTIONS:
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Veneto-Cretan Icon with Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
17th century A.D.Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,000
Depicting the martyrs freezing to death in a lake in Cappadocia, clad only in their undergarments (esophoria); Jesus above, dressed in gold and red, offering the crowns of martyrdom as a sign of reward; a tower to the side of the martyrs; Greek inscriptions: inside the gold nimbus 'O ѾN' (= The Only One who always exists), the inscription above the martyrs reading: 'Οι Άγιοι Τεσσαράκοντα Μάρτυρες = The Saint Holy 40 Martyrs'. 810 grams, 30 x 22.5 cm
Acquired on the European art market. Private collection, London, UK. 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.13063-249294.
The icon depicts the martyrdom of the 40 soldiers of the Legio XII Fulminata, who died in a frozen lake in Cappadocia in 320 AD. The drama experienced by these courageous men, nourished by their faith in Christ, is evocatively expressed. Their frozen bodies are painted in ochre and olive green, reflecting the stages of their agony. Christ is offering them crowns of glory from heaven as a sign of reward. The cult of the 40 Martyrs spread rapidly, first in Constantinople, where several churches were dedicated to them, then in the Balkans and Russia. -
Late Tudor Bronze Four-Way Seal Matrix
16th-17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Cruciform with a central oval loop for suspension; each arm with flat discoid bezel; engraved with anchor, ship, rampant lion, and swan motives. 12.3 grams, 35 mm
From the private collection of the late Graham Slater (1927-2024), Cambridge, UK, acquired 1980s-1990s. -
Tibetan Brass Hip Flask
Mid 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
With applied mask design, cabochon studs to the shoulders, screw-thread to stopper. 265 grams, 14.6 cm
From the private collection of a Kent, UK, gentleman.
