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LOT 2072
La Tene Enamelled Bronze Bow Brooch
4TH CENTURY B.C.
2 1/4 in. (19.3 grams, 58 mm).
La Tène Type I fibula with deep D-section bow, integral chord and pin, returned foot with ribbed section above the bulb and applied disc to knop finial; repaired pin. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a UK collection formed in the 1980s.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Hattatt, R., Ancient and Romano-British Brooches, Sherborne, 1982, item 5, for type.
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LOT 2072
La Tene Enamelled Bronze Bow Brooch
Estimate £60 - 80€70 - 93 (for guidance only)$81 - 108 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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Celtic Silver Bracelet
Iron Age, circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £55
Pennanular, formed from a round-section rod with cut finials. 32.2 grams, 62 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Iberian Bronze Bull Statuette
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £800
Modelled as a bridled and saddled bull, naturalistically rendered with well-defined facial planes, lending a vivid and expressive character to the figure; the edge of the saddle adorned with a delicate row of incised circles, broad, hollowed-out hooves. 48.6 grams, 54 mm long
Frank Sternberg collection, Zurich, 1980s. Private collection, acquired from Frank Sternberg in 1992. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, dated 29 March 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12729-234223.
The statuette likely served as a votive offering (ex-voto) at a sanctuary or temple, and closely parallels numerous Iberian examples recovered from sacred sites in Alicante, Valencia, and particularly in Andalusia. In Iberian culture, the bull was a potent symbol of strength, virility, and martial power—frequently associated with warrior deities. The inclusion of a saddle and bridle suggests domestication, and it is plausible that such animals, being more docile than horses, may have been ridden or equipped in ritual or ceremonial contexts. -
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.
