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LOT 1854
Medieval Iron Knife with Bronze Pommel
EARLY TO MID-15TH CENTURY A.D.
8 in. (46 grams, 20.5 cm).
Comprising a single cutting edge and scale tang; bifacial pommel engraved with a foliate motif within a border.
ProvenanceAcquired 1960s-1990s.
Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
Cf. Marquardt, K., Eight Centuries of European Knives, Forks and Spoons: an Art Collection, Europe, 1997, pp.29-31, for similar.
FootnotesKnife handles were made of wood, horn, bone or metal. Wood, a cheap, readily available and easily worked material, was by far the most common and most of the species used are both hard and flexible.
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 Bronze Seal Matrix with Clasped Hands
12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
With central mane-in-fede motif beneath a star, Lombardic script legend '* FOY ME TENT' for 'fidelity sustains me'. 4.37 grams, 20 mm
Ex Stocker collection, Kent, UK, 1955-early 2000s.
This amatory legend is found on other matrices, where the first word is more usually spelled FEI – a similar example is PAS database, SOM-D80124. An impression in the National Library of Wales is attached to a document dated c.1310. For this and similar legends see, Jones, M., The Beautiful Game: Courtly Love Posies in Anglo-Norman Inscribed on Jewellery and Seals, in Journal of the British Archaeological Association 176 (2023), 1-30. -
Medieval Pewter Crowned Heart Pilgrim's Badge
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising a hatched heart with diagonal pelletted band surmounted by an openwork crown, integral pin to reverse. 5 grams, 30 mm
Acquired on the European art market since the early 2000s. From the private Northern Ireland collection of R.M. -
Medieval Lead Seal Matrix for John
12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Discoid with strap and knop handle to the reverse, obverse with rosette and surrounding Lombardic script legend '*S’ IOhIS FIL BNEDICTI' (seal of John son of Benedict). 11.6 grams, 29 mm
Ex Stocker collection, Kent, UK, 1955-early 2000s.
