Large Medieval Heraldic Tile with the Heads of Three Africans within a Shield

Depicting Mary clad in red and green, with a green halo outlining her head, raising her hands in exclamation. 1.92 kg, 53 x 23.5 cm



Eglise Saint-Malo, Dinan, France, by repute. Acquired from the above by Mr and Mrs Junius P. Morgan, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The Dalva Brothers collection. Accompanied by a previous cataloguing document. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12994-246433.

Although her garments are uncharacteristic of figures of the Virgin, she nevertheless almost certainly represents Mary as she appeared in a scene of the Annunciation. Both in terms of the choice of colours, and in the style and treatment of her features and drapery folds, she can be compared very closely with window panels from the third quarter of the thirteenth century removed from the Church of Saint Radegonde in Poitiers, including a window now in the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn which shows in its lowermost vignette an identically dressed Virgin riding side saddle on a donkey during her flight into Egypt (fig. 1a-b).

With a beast-head to each shoulder, discoid bezel and cell with inset blue glass cabochon. 5.39 grams, 27.19 mm overall, 20.07 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R, USA 8 1/2, Europe 18 3/4, Japan 18)



Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.

Scaphoid in plan with chamfered rim to rear and lug (unpierced); central eagle motif and legend to the border '* S ROBTI . DE MOR' (seal of Robert of Mor[..]). 9.82 grams, 30.5 mm



Found Thames, UK. From the late Peter Hooper pewter and lead collection, who was a guest lecturer at West Dean College and was a longtime member of the Pewter Society who contributed to the Pewter Society Magazine.