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LOT 1957
Medieval Iron Fire Starter Group
CIRCA 15TH-18TH CENTURY A.D.
2 - 2 3/8 in. (148 grams total, 52-62 mm).
Including fire steels of various types with ornamental shaping. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. similar specimens in PAS, LON-6357F6,LON71B542, from London in Leahy, K. and Lewis, M., Finds Identified, London, 2020, p.155.
FootnotesFire steels were used to generate a spark from a 'strike-a-light' (a piece of flint or pyrite). The spark was directed into a tinder box containing a dry, flammable material such as charred linen until a flame was kindled.
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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Medieval Iron Knife with Bronze Pommel
15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Comprising a single cutting edge and scale tang; bifacial pommel engraved with a female figure to one face and an enigmatic design to the other. 35 grams, 17 cm
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
There were four essential ways to carry the small knifes in late Middle Ages: a) with the scabbard tucked diagonally behind belt, without suspension loop; b) without scabbard, simply thrust through the purse of the belt; c) with the scabbard tied horizontally at waist with suspension holes in the widened handle flap; d) suspended vertically from thong looped over the belt, in the scabbard. -
Medieval Bronze Seal Matrix with Stag
Circa 14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
With stag's head in the central tondo, crucifix between the antlers, legend to the border '*TIMETE DEVM' (Fear God); supplied with a museum-quality impression. 4.21 grams, 20 mm
Found near Finningham, Suffolk, Essex, UK. Property of an Essex gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
The crucifix between the antlers shows that this is the stag of St. Hubert or St. Eustace, both of whom witnessed the miraculous apparition of Christ on the Cross between the antlers of a stag. -
Medieval and Later Artefact Group
13th-20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
A mixed group of coins, jetons, buckles, a key, lead weights, and others. 300 grams total, 11-47 mm
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.