Eastern Byzantine Amethyst Gemstone of a Male Bust with Cross in Gold Ring

Hollow body discoid in profile and lentoid in section with thick loop handles to the shoulders, low-relief scene of a nimbate man between beasts to obverse, similar flanked by crosses pommee to reverse. 106 grams, 96 mm



From a Scottish gentleman’s collection, Glasgow, formed from the early 2000s.

Broad slipper-shaped type with square-ended stub nozzle, broad shoulder with herringbone detailing, discus with ribbed border to the filler-hole, ribbed reflector, and basal ring to the underside. 80 grams, 10.9 cm



Ex Israeli collection, 1980s.

Two fragments from a military bracelet (brachiolion) comprising: a disc with double border of pellets, at the centre two standing figures of the two robbers flanking a stylised Stavrosis (crucifixion), composed of a stylised cross surmounted by the nimbate head of Christ; the other an ellipsoid panel and portion of the shank with pelta-shaped motifs flanking 'ICT' (IesouC Theou = Jesus son of God) legend, the panel with double border of pellets enclosing image of nimbate Saint George on horseback with scale armour and spearing the dragon with a long spear (doru). 9.67 grams total, 26 mm each



Ex private Dorset, UK, collection circa 1980s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian. 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.13042-248494.

The importance of the depicted subject, the Stavrosis or Crucifixion, lies in its rarity. We know of very few representations of this subject in the early period of Christian art. Since the 6th-7th centuries, the iconographic type of military saints on horseback, Saint George, Saint Demetrios, Saint Theodore and Saint Sisinnios appear in the artistic milieu of the Middle East at the end of the 5th century-early 6th century AD. Among this iconography, the figure of Saint George, killer of the Dragon, stood out. The warrior saint was represented armed like a true Christian warrior of the Roman Empire, and the style of his armament here, also for comparison with similar images, points to a 6th-7th century dating, a period when the Eastern Roman Empire was still at the height of its power and exerted its influence over Eastern and Western Europe.