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LOT 1875
Medieval Bronze Knight's Holy Sepulchre Badge
CIRCA 13TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (1.05 grams, 23 mm).
Formed as a cross-crosslet, the symbol of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, with punched-point border. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Suffolk, UK.
Property of a Suffolk, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Mitchiner, M., Medieval Pilgrim & Secular Badges, London, 1986, items 939-41.
FootnotesThe 'Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem' was an order of knighthood under the protection of the Pope, formed around 1099 AD by Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the First Crusade. It was established for the protection of pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land and was recognised by a Papal Bull in about 1113 AD.
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LOT 1875
Medieval Bronze Knight's Holy Sepulchre Badge
Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
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Medieval Knight's Gilt Bronze Agnus Dei Horse Harness Mount
Circa 1100 A.D.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Octofoil mount with four attachment holes, agnus dei motif in profile reserved against a pounced field. 11.3 grams, 41 mm
Found Shottesbrooke, Windsor and Maidenhead, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.SUR-D59AA0. -
Celtic to Medieval Bronze Ring Collection
1st century B.C.-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Comprising six rings with decorative bezels, one with a recessed cell to the centre. 30.32 grams total, 19-25 mm
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The finger rings worn by merchants and tradesmen were made of different metals. The commonest were in brass or bronze. The merchants and tradesmen ordered various devices to be engraved on the bezels of their seal rings, and sometimes they gave the appearance of being heraldic blazons. -
Medieval Gilt and Niello Hat Badge with Marriage of the Virgin
Italy, circa 1500 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Niello plaque depicting the marriage ceremony between Mary and Joseph, set in a gilt brass mount with a rope twist border, four loops for attachment. 10.8 grams, 46 mm
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the Belgian art market.
Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver and lead. It is used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens and flows or is pushed into the engraved lines in the metal. Men began wearing hat ornaments on their caps from the late fifteenth century, which could be either purely decorative or symbolic. Symbolic examples are traditionally known as enseignes, as they conveyed the wearer’s personal intent or a visible message. These jewels trace their origins to the medieval pilgrim badge, usually mass-produced in base metal. It is believed that this fashion shift to a stylish male accessory began when French king Charles VIII entered Naples in February 1495, wearing a gold circular jewel on his cap, while his men had similar, though not gold, jewels on their caps or sleeves. Italians quickly adopted this trend, which then spread to most European courts. However, this fashion declined in the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century, giving way to the popularity of aigrettes.
