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LOT 1975
German Silver Mounted Agate Altar Cross
20TH CENTURY A.D.
7 in. (157 grams, 17.9 cm).
Cut from banded agate and set with silver fittings, the crucified Christ on the cross wearing a draped loincloth.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1975
German Silver Mounted Agate Altar Cross
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
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Post Medieval Brown Glazed Money Box
17th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Hand-thrown pot with bulbous body and a trumpet-shaped foot; a wide slit to the upper part of the body. 297 grams, 12.5 cm
Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Kent, UK, lady collector. -
Enamelled Pendant in the form of a Heart with Silver Decorations
Germany, 17th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £1,000
Hinged pendant decorated in blue, yellow and red enamel with silver floral decoration, one side with a silver profile of the Virgin, and the other side with the profile of Christ; inside decorated with light blue enamel; possibly used to carry a relic or the host as a portable pyx. 29.8 grams, 67 mm
Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13405-257980. -
Renaissance Gold Ring with Toadstone
Western Europe, 16th century A.D.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £4,000
Featuring a round-section large hoop expanding towards the shoulders, a large circular bezel with a Greek key motif encircling the outer rim and set with a brown 'toadstone'. 13.01 grams, 32.42 mm overall, 23.12 x 19.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V 1/2, USA 10 3/4, Europe 24.4, Japan 23)
Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13398-257996.
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, circa 1599: 'Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.' Toadstones are mythical stones that were thought to be found inside the head of a toad. They were believed to sweat, change colour or even heat up in the presence of poison. It was thought that a toadstone placed on bites from snakes, insects, spiders and shrews would extract poison from the wound. They were thought to bring good luck and ward off evil, whether in the present life or in the afterlife. The Book of Secrets from the 13th century recommends swallowing the stone to 'cleanse the bowels of filth and excrements'. The stone could then be retrieved and used again. They were often set as amulets and talismans, a practice that continued in Europe until the 18th century. Toadstones are actually the button-like fossilised teeth of Lepidotes, an extinct genus of fish common in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, 200 to 100 million years ago.
