Facetted Hardstone Bead Necklace

Rectangular vellum leaf with hand-coloured composite scene: top left, Mary in blue mantle holding infant Jesus on her knee, addressing a standing robed figure, red Coptic text above 'How the man with a club foot prayed to Our Lady Mary that she might heal him when he saw the bishop's chastisement'; below left, six standing male figures in colourful robes looking left and a seventh turned to the right with an oversized shoe, red Coptic text above the group 'these are the congregation and this is how he hid his foot with his clothing' and the rightmost figure 'this also is the man with the club foot'; right, seated cleric wearing a mitre beneath a canopy, addressing a group of five followers and pointing to a standing man raising his robe to show his leg, red Coptic text in three panels 'Here is the bishop who asked the Frank that his foot might be healed', 'These are the congregation' and 'How he was healed and how the stone fell from his foot'; mounted in a glazed wooden frame with reveal. 1.88 kg total, 47.2 x 44 cm



Collection of David Buxton (1913-2003), author of 'Travels in Ethiopia', 1949.

The image refers to the 'Miracle of the Lame Man' in which a man, who had been born lame, prayed before the shrine of the Virgin Mary and was healed. Here, the lame man shows the Archbishop his leg, and explains how he had been healed.

Disc bezel with incuse profile bust of Apollo with diadem to the brow; after the antique. 8.19 grams, 24.29 mm overall, 19.80 mm internal diameter (approximate size British U, USA 10, Europe 22.52, Japan 21)



Acquired from Rosebery's Auctions. From the personal collection of a West London, UK, gentleman.

Large rectangle with linear upper border and three pendant medallions: St. Peter with book and key, angels supporting the communion cup, St. Paul with sword and book; flanking blocks of dense flowers, leaves and tendrils above incipit 'IN XPI NOMINE AMEN' (in the name of Christ let it be so); similar lateral floral ornament flanking the central block of text in a fine italic hand with red-inked titles and name of the issuing authority (PAVLVS); folded lower edge with cord for attachment of an authenticating seal (absent); witnessed at bottom left corner by Franciscus Caesariensis Ep[iscopu]s (Bishop Francis of Caesaria) and credited at bottom right 'gratis in omnibus amore dei / Marius Cappocinus secretarius' (with thanks to the love of God in all things, Marius the Capuchin, Secretary); some usage wear, faded Italian-language notation to reverse. 137 grams, 74 x 62 cm



Collection of Victor Spark, UK, 2007. Ex central London gallery.

Pope Paul III was the commissioner of the painting of the Last Judgement on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City.