Medieval and Later Dutch Pottery Pit Dug Fragment Group

From an architectural column with a square upper face developing to a rounded base; a decorative frieze carved in the half-round depicting two seated lions, each with its tail looped around its lower body, supporting a pedestal on which a facing bust of a young boy is resting. 25.7 kg, 36 cm

Good condition

with Piasa, 7 June 2013, lot 17. Ex central London gallery. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11738-202062.

The form of the capital and the shape of the beasts are similar to those sculptures that survive in churches on the pilgrimage route to Santiago da Compostela – namely in Southern France and Northern Spain, but the bodies of the lions have many correspondences with the capital sculptures of Poitou. The lions were considered to be guardians against evil and the image of the young boy is probably a representation of the prophet Daniel. There is a similar capital in the Church of d'Airvault (Deux-Sèvres) also ornamented with lions and a human head.

Comprising a lion passant guardant wearing a crown, tongue protruding; remains of pin to reverse. 1.85 grams, 23 mm



Found Thames foreshore spoil, 1980s and recorded with Museum of London.

This form of badge was used by the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses.

Formed as a penis with crowned head and wings, stylised detailing; pin absent. 3.82 grams, 38 mm



European collection, 1990s. Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.