Medieval Bronze Seated Figure of Madonna and Child

Depicting Mary clad in red and green, with a green halo outlining her head, raising her hands in exclamation. 1.92 kg, 53 x 23.5 cm



Eglise Saint-Malo, Dinan, France, by repute. Acquired from the above by Mr and Mrs Junius P. Morgan, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The Dalva Brothers collection. Accompanied by a previous cataloguing document. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12994-246433.

Although her garments are uncharacteristic of figures of the Virgin, she nevertheless almost certainly represents Mary as she appeared in a scene of the Annunciation. Both in terms of the choice of colours, and in the style and treatment of her features and drapery folds, she can be compared very closely with window panels from the third quarter of the thirteenth century removed from the Church of Saint Radegonde in Poitiers, including a window now in the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn which shows in its lowermost vignette an identically dressed Virgin riding side saddle on a donkey during her flight into Egypt (fig. 1a-b).

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.

Including lion-head, eagle and other types. 11.4 grams total, 12-29 mm



From the collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, collector established from the earlier 1960s.