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LOT 1900
Medieval Iron Rowel Spur Collection
CIRCA 14TH-16TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 - 6 in. (313 grams total, 13.3-15.3 cm).
Comprising spurs of various sizes; including examples retaining rowels and buckles. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
Cf. similar specimen in the British Museum, inventory no.1856,0701.2525, dated 1250-1350 A.D.
FootnotesEarly in 16th century, fashion of spurs changed and the spur were fitted with a much shorter, dropped neck, their rowels ranging from medium seven-point to large short seven points.
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
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Norman Bronze Key Shank with Cross
Late 11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Octagonal in section with pierced discoid bow and knop finial; openwork cross with pellets in the spandrels, rectangular bolster. 15.7 grams, 11.1 cm
Acquired on the UK art market. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
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Medieval and Later Bronze Key Collection
15th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Mixed group including casket keys and a large door key with warded bit and balustered shank. 82 grams total, 3-11.6 cm
Found near York, UK. -
'The Harling' Medieval Bronze Handled Posnet Cauldron
14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £8,450
Shaped as a small cauldron with a long curved handle decorated with five incuse circles extending from the rim to the swan-head finial and with loop handle beneath; spherical body, slightly oblate at the base with an everted rim and casting seams, three splayed stub legs with ribbed profile; offered with objects recovered from the same archaeological context: a struck flint flake; two bone fragments; a fragment of pottery. 3.1 kg total, 3.8-32 cm
Located whilst searching with a metal detector and archaeologically excavated by Norfolk Archaeology Unit, near Harling, Norfolk, UK, on Wednesday 8th November 2023. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.NMS-C1D619 which includes a photograph of the cauldron in situ before excavation. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12165-219623.
Bronze cauldrons played a role in ritual practices in the Middle Ages and beyond. It appears that many of the bronze cauldrons have been deliberately deposited, although the reasons for this were not always clear. There are strong indications that this often took place at the beginning of a large-scale project. This may have been the construction of a castle or a rampart, of a city wall, the building of a dyke, a dangerous crossing of the sea, the cultivation of a piece of farmland or the reclamation of a peat bog. For all types of projects, salvation and blessing could be requested in the form of a deliberate deposit of a bronze cauldron. This custom is directly comparable with the Medieval ritual of placing coins under the foundation stone of a building.
