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LOT 0293
Dark Age Bronze Decorated Pyxis
CIRCA 5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
3 in. (56.9 grams, 77 mm).
Tubular in section with planar base; circumferential ribbing to the sidewall and pounced field with reserved tendrils and leaves; with later Lombardic script legend above base '+ XTVS EVANGELII REDIMITVS HONORE DECENTI' (Christ ... of the Gospel submitted with noble honour).
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
See Klein, H.A., Amalfi, Byzantium, and the Vexed Question of Artistic 'Influence' in Zeitschrift des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft, 2015.
FootnotesA similar dedicatory inscription appears on the Farfa Casket.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0293
Dark Age Bronze Decorated Pyxis
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£250 (EUR 290; USD 338) +BP*
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Merovingian Gold Earrings with Garnets
6th century A.D.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Bids: 2 | Current Bid: £2,000
Of circular form, each composed of a plain gold hoop terminating in a cube-shaped setting displayed upon panels of almandine garnet, carefully cut and backed with gold foil to enhance their translucency and depth of colour; the polygonal settings formed of intersecting gold struts. 21.44 grams total, 30-32mm
New York art market. Christie's, New York, 18 December 1998, no.316. with Ariadne Galleries, New York, acquired at the above sale. Private American collection, acquired from the above, 27 April 2016.
Collectively, these objects demonstrate the wide diffusion of this Ostrogothic type across the Mediterranean, highlighting both the technical mastery of cloisonné work and its symbolic value within elite Gothic adornment. Their integrity is exceptional for jewels of this period, and they would be suitable, if desired, for sympathetic adaptation with discreet loops for modern wear. The use of garnet inlaid into gold cells reflects the continuation of Late Roman cloisonné techniques, adapted and developed within the Ostrogothic world. Such earrings, with their bold cubic settings and luminous stones, would have projected wealth and status, while also embodying the cultural synthesis of Roman and Gothic traditions in Italy and the wider Mediterranean during the 6th century. Displayed upon a modern bespoke bronze stand, included with the earrings. -
Migration Period Ring with Animal
6th-8th century A.D.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Substantial ring with keeled hoop, pointille decoration on the shoulders, hexagonal bezel with stylised animal with elongated neck and long tail. 6.76 grams, 25.06 mm overall, 21.66 x 19.80 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.77, Japan 22)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Germanic Bronze Buckle
6th-9th century A.D.Estimate: £30 - 40 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Comprising a thick D-shaped loop and a D-section curving tongue. 36 grams, 52 mm
From the private collection of Graham Slater (1927-2024), Cambridge, UK; formed 1980s-1990s. Accompanied by a previous dealer's sales ticket.
