Loading, please wait...
_900x900.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
_200x200.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
_900x900.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
_200x200.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
.jpg "Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst")
LOT 0341
Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst
7TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/8 in. (11.38 grams, 34.70 mm overall, 17.74 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M 1/2, USA 6 1/4, Europe 13.09, Japan 12)).
Square-section inverted pyramid bezel with ornamented faces, set with a polished amethyst pebble; restored hoop, flanked by outward-facing birds with hooked beaks and large ring-and-dot eyes; keeled decorative hoop with three integral collars at the base.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, UK.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12983-245992.
See a closely related ring in the Griffin Collection, currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, object no. L.2015.72.36; see also a gold ring with similar bird motifs in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, accession no. 615-1871; see Musée d’Archéologie nationale, Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, inventory no.MAN87191, for a ring featuring a tall, square bezel set with a chrysoprase and having a similar shank, excavated from a 7th-century burial beneath the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
FootnotesThe Langobards (or Lombards) were a Germanic people who invaded and ruled much of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774 AD. Their kingdom, known for its fusion of Germanic and Byzantine artistic traditions, persisted until the Carolingian conquest under Charlemagne.
A Bishop’s ring is a large, often ornate ring worn by bishops as a symbol of their office and spiritual authority. Traditionally, it signifies the bishop’s commitment to the Church and is considered a mark of his episcopal dignity.
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0341
Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst
Sold for (Inc. bp): £15,600
-
Merovingian Ring with Scrolls
Circa 640-680 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Comprising a wide hoop with linear decoration on the shoulders, an oval bezel with incuse scrolls. 10.53 grams, 26.37 mm overall, 19.40 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S 1/2, USA 9 1/4, Europe 20.63, Japan 19)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The image on the bezel is reminiscent of the spiral motifs connected to Celto-Germanic mythology. They were associated with life force, energy, the seed of life, and cycles of existence.’ -
Merovingian Bronze Ring with Early Christian Fish Symbol
6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising a D-section hoop expanding at the shoulders, an oval bezel with a stylised fish flanked by linear motifs. 5.72 grams, 25.40 mm overall, 19.14 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The German tribes who settled inside the Roman Empire were great wearers of rings; archaeological discoveries show that these ornaments were worn by adults and children of both sexes. The number of graves excavated in Gaul and Germany is large, and the material for comparative study is extensive. A considerable proportion of rings are signets, with portraits, names or monograms, and emblems such as the cross, the fish, the dove, i.e. early Christian symbols; most of these have the designs cut in a metal bezel. -
Gothic Bronze Radiate-Headed Brooch
Late 5th-early 6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Comprising: D-shaped headplate and seven radiating lobes, flat ribbed bow, lozengiform footplate with piriform finial, pin-lug and catch to the reverse. 17.5 grams, 61 mm
Ex property of an Essex, UK, gentleman collector. From the private collection of a Colchester, UK, gentleman.
