Late Anglo-Saxon Gilt Bronze Cloisonne Brooch

Squat vessel with rounded underside, gusseted neck and carinated mouth with inner lip; stamped frond decoration to the shoulder and body, arched stamp pattern between; underside with impressed ropework spiral pattern. 497 grams, 14 cm wide



Ex English private collection, formed in the 1960s. Acquired from Bonhams, London, 13 April 2011, no.245 (part). From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages and the original Bonhams lot tag.

With a slightly domed profile and a raised circumferential border to the upper face; decorated with Celtic designs featuring elaborate curvilinear tendrils and triskele-style swirls enclosing an area of fine-line trumpet spiral designs, set around a central rectangular panel filled with millefiori-style enamel work in the form of an irregular chequerboard of blue and yellow enamel, the circular recesses retaining red enamel traces; two parallel rivets to the reverse. 23.4 grams, 51 mm



Found whilst searching with a metal detector near Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK, in 2018. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-73B821. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12075-124454.

Squat vessel, cylindrical in form with lateral D-shaped lugs at the rim, each pierced to accept a bronze drop-handle with returned ends; the outer face with decorative frieze executed in pointillé technique with pellets between the bands consisting of (1) an upper band of running zigzags with fill; (2) clusters of three pellets; (3) sinuous curved line with fronds in the voids; (4) repeat of (2); (5) repeat of (1); underside with three soldered silver panels, possibly ancient repairs. 527 grams, 18.5 cm wide



Found East Anglia, believed Cambridgeshire, UK. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The vessel is formally similar to the group of bronze vessels believed to have been made in Antioch in the 6th century, which have been recovered from 6th-7th century grave fields in England (Carver, 2005; Mango et al, 1989) and from sites in the Mediterranean area (see Drandaki, n.d.). While it lacks the elaborate hunting scenes and Greek inscriptions of the more complex examples, it shows most of the same decorative and constructional features.