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LOT 1835
Medieval Bronze Priest's Laver Holy Water Pouring Vessel Spout
14TH-15TH CENTURY A.D.
2 5/8 in. (49 grams, 66 mm).
With stylised zoomorphic detailing to the spout, mouth developing to a round-section spout, arched neck with section cut away for attachment. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, collector established from the earlier 1960s.
LiteratureSee Lewis, J.M., Bronze Aquamaniles and Ewers, Finds Research Group 700-1700 Datasheet 7, 1991, for a similar example excavated from Cardiff Castle moats.
FootnotesA priest's laver was a large ceremonial basin used for ritual ablutions.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1835
Medieval Bronze Priest's Laver Holy Water Pouring Vessel Spout
Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
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Medieval Gold Ring Brooch with Sapphires
France, 14th century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
An annular brooch set with six cabochon sapphires, the spaces in between engraved with annulets, diamonds and a fleur-de-lis at the centre, a flower motif on each side of the pin. 6.11 grams, 20 mm
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, UK.
In medieval jewellery, sapphires were revered not only for their beauty but for their rich symbolic and spiritual meaning. Associated with the heavens, they embodied divine wisdom, purity, and truth, often worn by clergy and royalty as signs of piety and authority. Believed to protect against envy, poison, and deceit, sapphires were also thought to reveal dishonesty by losing their brilliance, making them symbols of fidelity and integrity. Frequently gifted as tokens of loyal love, they were valued for their supposed healing properties, particularly for ailments of the eyes and mind. In 14th-century jewellery, the fleur-de-lis symbolised a blend of royal allegiance, religious devotion, and noble identity. As the emblem of the French monarchy, it signified loyalty to the crown and noble lineage, while its association with the Virgin Mary evoked purity and spiritual grace. Common in courtly and devotional contexts, it also reflected chivalric ideals such as honour, fidelity, and moral virtue. -
Medieval Lead 'JOHN SON OF ADAM' Personal Seal Matrix
Circa 13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Discoid in plan with lug to rear (unpierced); central cross pommy with interstitial bars; legend to the border 'S’ IOhIS: FILI ADE' (seal of John son of Adam). 19.9 grams, 34.5 mm
Found Kent. From the later Peter Hooper Pewter and Lead collection, who was a guest lecturer at West Dean College a longtime member of the Pewter Society, who contributed to the Pewter Society Magazine. -
Medieval 'Our Lady of the Flames' Limestone Figural Scene
15th century A.D. or laterEstimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £180
Carved in the half-round frieze fragment or devotional sculpture of the Madonna del Fuoco, facing female in wimple and long robe with her right arm bent forward, left arm extended above a child gripping the folds of her robe; billowing flames surrounding the pair; mounted on a custom-made stand. 10.55 kg total, 37.7 cm including stand
Acquired Lukas Pearsie, Suffolk, 2012. Property of a Kent collector. From the N.J. collection, Leicester, UK.
