Medieval and Other Buckle and Harness Ring Collection

An icon from a possible triptych of Veneto-Cretan School depicting nimbate Saint Francis of Assisi, wearing the brown habit of the Franciscan order, fitted with a hood, facing towards the right, a red book in his left hand with the inscription Vera S. Francisci effigies(true portrait of Saint Francis); mounted in a perspex display frame. 152 grams, 20 cm high



Property of a London lady, part of her family's collection.

With the conquest of Crete by the Venetians, Latin saints were introduced to Byzantine iconography. Saint Francis was one of the most beloved Latin saints among the Cretan faithful, depicted in the iconography of Cretan Orthodox churches, including the Panaghia Kera of Kritsa (13th-14th century A.D.). This figure was probably part of a triptych, having at the centre the image of the Mother of God with the Child, or a Desis. The placement of Francis in this icon would suggests the owner’s strong affiliation with the Franciscan order, which had a strong presence on Crete from the 13th century onwards. It was believed that Saint Francis himself stopped on the island on his way to the Holy Land in 1219.

A substantial bronze discoid seal matrix with strap and loop to the reverse; central incuse motif of a bull passant gardant with war hammer below, border with pointillé edges and enigmatic Lombardic script legend '·+· S' FERA bOVIS D'CVMIS' (seal of the wild bull of Cumis). 20.5 grams 32 mm



The Matrix Collection, formed by David Morris since the late 1980s. Matrix Collection catalogue no.1111. Many of the seals within the collection were published in a book titled 'The Matrix Collection', by David Morris in 2012.

A mixed group of iron door keys comprising: one with solid shank, lozengiform bow, rectangular bit with elaborate piercings and three wards; one with hollow shank, circular bow, long rectangular pierced bit and two long wards; one with solid shank, ellipsoid bow, rectangular pierced bit and three wards. 126 grams total, 10.5-13.6 cm



Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector.