Loading, please wait...
LOT 1997
Medieval Bronze Purse Bar with Niello Inlay
15TH-16TH CENTURY A.D.
6 1/8 in. (70.66 grams, 15.5 cm).
With niello-filled legend to the bar: 'AVE MARIA GACIA PLE' and to reverse 'A DOMINV TE CVM *'; central heater-shaped plaque with niello-filled 'W' to one face and 'IHS' monogram to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Graham Slater (1924-2024) collection, Cambridge, UK; his collection assembled since the 1980s.
From a Cambridgeshire, UK, private collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See The Portable Antiquities Scheme, record id WAW-6DF783, for a similar purse bar dated c. 1450-1550.
FootnotesMetal purse frames of this type were a luxury personal accessory of late Middle Ages and early Renaissance period (about 1450-1500). They were decorated with niello. In this technique the metalworker engraved a pattern or design onto highly polished metal and filled the incised lines with a hard black alloy. Religious inscriptions were incised to invoke divine protection.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Medieval Iron Fire Striker
13th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
'Swan neck' type with broad shank and recurved handle. 42 grams, 56 mm
Found Bristol, UK. Acquired from Coincraft, London, UK. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent. Accompanied by a Coincraft certificate of authenticity. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Medieval Limestone Saint Peter from a Retable
South Germany, late 14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
Carved in the round, seated on a chair with dorsal pillar; wearing a tunic and scapular, and with a cowl to the shoulders; sandaled feet on the rectangular base; right hand supporting an object (absent), exaggerated left hand holding the shaft of a symbol (cross?). 7.55 kg, 40.5 cm
Sotheby's, New York, USA, 27 January 2011, no.394. Ex central London, UK, gallery. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12831-240244. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Medieval Bronze Knight's Holy Sepulchre Badge
Circa 13th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Formed as a cross-crosslet, the symbol of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, with punched-point border. 0.38 grams, 17 mm
Found East Anglia, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The '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.
