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LOT 1177
Iron Age Celtic Horse Bridle Cheek Piece with La Tène Ornament
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
3 5/8 in. (80 grams, 93 mm).
A bronze bridle fitting, circular in section with flattened centre and a rectangular slot to accept a strap; decorated along one face with reserved La Tène style comma-leaf swirls on recessed fields originally inlaid with red enamel, sinuous incised line connecting the cells at each end.
ProvenanceFound UK.
From a English collection.
Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman.
Cf. similar item in the British Museum, London, under accession number 1846,0322.138.
FootnotesCheek pieces were attached to each end of a bridle bit; they have been found in princely burials along with other grave goods.
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 1177
Iron Age Celtic Horse Bridle Cheek Piece with La Tène Ornament
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
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Iron Age Celtic Silver Bird Amulet with Fanned Tail
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £338
A silver votive bird with punched detailing, vertical lines to wings, horizontal and triangular lines to the fanned tail. 5.71 grams, 22 mm
Acquire in the 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
There is a group of Celtic gods who are not identified by any one recurrent attribute such as a hammer or antlers, but who fall firmly within the sphere of deities with responsibility for wild nature and the bounty of the earth. They are distinguished by their association with animals or especially birds; the votive birds were often offered to these gods of nature and abundance. -
Iron Age Celtic Toggle Fastener
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
A bronze clothes fastener formed as a pierced rectangular plate with a right-angled extension terminating in a domed disc with convex underside. 11.08 grams, 39 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector at West Stainmore, Cumbria, UK, in 2017. -
Iron Age Celtic Bow Brooch with Bird
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A bronze miniature bow brooch with integral pin, long narrow catchplate, model bird on the bow. 2.6 grams, 33 mm
Private collection formed in the 1990s. Property of a European gentleman living in the UK. Ex TimeLine Auctions, 15 March 2012, lot 901(part). Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman.