Medieval Bronze Ring with Pentagram

Square composite panel with brown-hued vitreous enamel and pink pigment, irregular profile bust set into the diamond quarries. 838 grams, 30.3 x 27 cm



Ancient Arms and Armour, Stained Glass, Coffrets and Furniture. Property from a New York Collection, American Art Association, New York, 23 November 1923, no.110 (as Flemish XV-XVI). The Monastery Stained Glass, 2004. Accompanied by a previous cataloguing document.

The loose, fluid brushwork and fine touches of pink sanguine pigment on this male head place him firmly in the first decades of the sixteenth century, a dating supported further by the visible hemline of the fashionable pleated shirt covering his neck. These are all characteristic features of Southern Netherlandish stained glass from this period, and parallels offered by programs such as the early sixteenth-century windows in Antwerp Cathedral, the c. 1500 glazing scheme at Sint Gummarus church in Lier just outside Antwerp, as well as at sites such as Notre Dame du Sablon in Brussels, suggest an artist working in Brabant in the early years of the century.

Lancastrian retainer's badge or mount with 'sun, moon and star' emblem. 6.15 grams, 33 mm



Found Gloucestershire, UK.

The 'star and crescent' (sun, moon and star) symbols were a traditional badge of the Plantagenets during the period from Richard I to Edward I and were also popular in the 14th century.

With a flat rectangular bezel engraved with an image of Saint Christopher carrying the Christ child on his back, the hoop extending on either side of the bezel and having a twisted design creating facetted shoulders with transverse ridges extending from each side of the bezel; each smaller shoulder facet engraved with six projecting rays, each larger side with engraved blackletter texts 'pur' and 'bone' meaning 'for good (fortune)’/ ‘for the best'; a foliate design present between the bezel and text, and each word followed by an engraved flower, the remainder of the hoop with a twisted ropework design; heavily worn by its original owner creating a desirable natural finger shape connecting the wearer with the original owner. 3.26 grams, 18.91 mm overall, 16.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I 1/2, USA 4 1/2, Europe 8.07, Japan 7)



Found whilst searching with a metal detector in South Otterington, Hambleton, North Yorkshire, UK, on 28 November 2024, by James Sweeney; declared as a Treasure under the Treasure Act with reference no.2024 T1402, and subsequently disclaimed by the Crown. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-AED39E. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from the Office of the Senior Coroner for North Yorkshire and York, explaining that the Crown's interest in this find has been disclaimed. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12990-244092.

Saint Christopher, the patron of travellers, was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages. As a supposed early Christian martyr, he was thought to give protection against death from the plague.