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LOT 0415
Italian Bronze Hand-Shaped Desk Seal
17TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (453 grams, 13.5 cm).
Formed as a left hand with flange rim to the cuff and wrist, ring to the third finger; stud to the reverse with geralfic seal, heater shield with helmet and lambrequin, underside with stud and profile bust.
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market.
Private collection, England.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13087-249670.
Cf. Liubović, E., ‘Stemmi delle famiglie nobili italiane di Segna,’ in Alli, vol. XXIX, 1999, pp. 551-587 fig.27 p.585 for a similar heraldry.
FootnotesIn the 17th century, Italian noble seals were crucial heraldic instruments, depicting family crests, often surmounted by crowns (counts, marquises, princes) or helmets, and enriched with family specific symbols (e.g., vines for the Panevinos), portraits on horseback, or elements linked to ecclesiastical offices (papal keys) to authenticate documents, reflecting the prestige and authority of noble houses and civic patricians.
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 0415
Italian Bronze Hand-Shaped Desk Seal
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
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Neoclassical Citrine Gemstone with Putto and Goose
18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Plano-convex type with incuse scene of a putto kneeling on an arrow with one leg extended over it, holding the flight-feather of a bird in one hand and encouraging a goose to feed from the other hand; with traces of copper tooling; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.32 grams, 12 mm
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, London, UK.
Perhaps the putto is encouraging the goose to approach him so that he can pluck its flight-feathers for use on the shafts of his arrows. -
Quartz Bead Necklace String
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
Composed of spherical translucent beads, restrung. 11.2 grams, 45.5 cm
From London, UK, gallery collection, 1990s. -
Cylinder Seal Electrotype Group
Late 19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Of academic interest, copper-coated lead seal impressions including presentation scenes, hunting scenes, court scenes; one with cuneiform text. 240 grams total, 34-45 mm
Possibly made by the British Museum. From a West Country, UK, private collection.
