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LOT 2081
Iron Age Bronze Helmet Ornament in the Form of a Bull's Horn
CELTIC, 4TH-1ST CENTURY B.C.
8 7/8 in. (161 grams total, 22.5 cm including stand).
Decorative attachment in the form of a bull’s horn, curving and ending in a spherical knob with a notched underside; a torus collar at the horn's lower end, with a square cross-section below it; a conical disc at the base with three perforations for attachment; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceEx private South German collection, 1970s.
with Hermann Historica, Auction 66, 6 May 2013, no.2363.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13523-263141.
Cf. for a Celtic horned helmet of the period, Various, Guerrieri Principi ed Eroi fra il Danubio e il Po dalla Preistoria all'Alto Medioevo, Trento, 2004, p.314.
FootnotesNumerous examples of Celtic helmets adorned with horns are known. Amongst these, there are several parallels for the specific shape of the bull’s horn presented here. An interpretation as a helmet ornament therefore appears plausible, especially in view of the size of our object.
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LOT 2081
Iron Age Bronze Helmet Ornament in the Form of a Bull's Horn
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£1,000 (EUR 1,160; USD 1,350) ‡+BP*
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Celtic Limestone Bust of a Bearded Man
Iron Age, 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £10,000
Modelled in the round with raised almond-shaped eyes, raised forehead connected to a long nose, raised mouth turned downwards, large ears and short beard around the jawline; long hair tied to the back secured with a headband. 76 kg, 56 cm
Ex John Moor, York, UK; thence by descent. with Rupert Wace, 2018. Private collection, UK. -
Celtic Bronze Bow Brooch
Iron Age, circa 1st century B.C.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
With a thick bow with a recurved foot, a spring pin and an integral catchplate. 12.7 grams, 44 mm
From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Iron Age Bronze Helmet Ornament in the Form of a Bull's Horn
Celtic, 4th-1st century B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Decorative attachment in the form of a bull’s horn, curving and ending in a spherical knob with a notched underside; a torus collar at the horn's lower end, with a square cross-section below it; a conical disc at the base with three perforations for attachment; mounted on a custom-made stand. 161 grams total, 22.5 cm including stand
Ex private South German collection, 1970s. with Hermann Historica, Auction 66, 6 May 2013, no.2363. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13523-263141.
Numerous examples of Celtic helmets adorned with horns are known. Amongst these, there are several parallels for the specific shape of the bull’s horn presented here. An interpretation as a helmet ornament therefore appears plausible, especially in view of the size of our object.
