Medieval Iron Strike-a-Lite

From an architectural column with a square upper face developing to a rounded base; a decorative frieze carved in the half-round depicting two seated lions, each with its tail looped around its lower body, supporting a pedestal on which a facing bust of a young boy is resting. 25.7 kg, 36 cm

Good condition

with Piasa, 7 June 2013, lot 17. Ex central London gallery. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11738-202062.

The form of the capital and the shape of the beasts are similar to those sculptures that survive in churches on the pilgrimage route to Santiago da Compostela – namely in Southern France and Northern Spain, but the bodies of the lions have many correspondences with the capital sculptures of Poitou. The lions were considered to be guardians against evil and the image of the young boy is probably a representation of the prophet Daniel. There is a similar capital in the Church of d'Airvault (Deux-Sèvres) also ornamented with lions and a human head.

Comprising a circular stone with an incised cross to one side and a series of 13 heraldic hearts to the other; a bronze cross pendant with annulet-in-circle motifs to one side. 47 grams total, 30-36 mm



From an old Worcestershire, UK collection. The Kusmirek Collection, UK.

The copper-alloy pendant appears to be cross-shaped with the top arm forming the suspension loop. It is therefore possible to consider the pendant to be T-shaped, in the form of the Greek letter Tau. These Tau crosses often acted as miniature reliquaries which are thought to have contained a herbal compound that was used to treat the symptoms of St Anthony's fire.

Formed with an arched D-section neck and triangular base, row of dorsal spines, pricked ears with notched rims, scooped muzzle with knop finial, open mouth with protruding tongue and teeth. 37.8 grams, 48 mm



‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.203519.