Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1713
Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Ecclesiastical Seal Matrix
13TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (26.1 grams, 40 mm).
Scaphoid matrix with strap and pierced lug to the reverse; median image of Mary enthroned beneath a canopy with infant Jesus on her lap, sharing a trefoil-headed sceptre; enigmatic dense blackletter legend to the rim; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Found Shaw, Wiltshire, UK, before 1974.
Footnotes
Shaw, a village noted in the Domesday survey, recorded a mere three poll-tax contributors in 1377, marking it as the Wiltshire village with the fewest taxpayers at that time. Likely abandoned in the early 15th century, Shaw became associated with Alton (the Alton in Wiltshire, not the one in Hampshire), with its agricultural lands consolidating with those of Alton. Today, one can only speculate about the challenges faced by the 10-20 residents who once called Shaw home.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
LOT 1713
Medieval Bronze Vesica-Shaped Ecclesiastical Seal Matrix
Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
RELATED LOTS
-
Medieval and Other Artefact Group
1st-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Including buckle loops, buttons, fasteners, milled coins and other items, 1.06 kg total, 8-86 mm
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. -
Medieval and Later Bronze Thimble Group
13th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Including beehive, carinated and annular types. 29.8 grams total, 17-22 mm
Property of the vendor's grandfather, thence by family descent, circa 1985. From the private collection of a New York, USA gentleman. -
Medieval Gilt Bronze Plaque of the True Face of Christ
Italy, circa 1500 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
With raised rim, nimbate bust of Christ in profile with long beard and shoulder-length hair, folded collar to the mantle; dove above with wings spread between sun and moon, each with a facing mask; inscription I.N.R.I. visible on either side of the portrait; mounted on a velvet-covered stand. 216 grams, 10.1 x 6.6 cm
with Pierre-Richard Royer, 2010. Ex central London gallery.
The icon represents the profile bust of Christ found on a Byzantine emerald, whence it is known as an 'Emerald Icon'. The emerald was one of the several holy objects sent to Pope Innocent VIII in the 1490's by the Turkish Sultan Bajazet II. The icon was considered one of the Christianity's most precious relics. The letters "I N R I" stand for 'Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum,' i.e.' Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews' This is the inscription that, according to the Evangelist John, Pilate had written on the plaque above Christ's head on the cross. The sun and moon allude to the cosmic significance of his sacrifice.