Medieval Knight's Bronze Limoges Buckle Plate with Rampant Lion Fighting a Human-Headed Snake

Group of nine carved bone panels from a casket, most with a tapering upper third and openwork vegetation at the top; comprising: young man resting his hands on a teardrop shield, beside a fir-tree, looking right; winged nimbate angel in floor-length robe reaching upwards towards a three-horned crown; winged nimbate angel in floor-length robe holding a naked sword in her right hand and scales in her left; winged nimbate figure in floor-length robe holding a serpent in each hand, with three faces conjoined; winged angel in floor-length robe sitting on a dais, holding a discoid object with a bifid handle (perhaps a lute); winged nimbate angel in floor-length robe holding a chalice in her right hand and cross in her left; winged nimbate angel in floor-length robe holding a flaming torch in her right hand and grasping the raised hands of a child with her left; winged nimbate angel in floor-length robe with two ewers, pouring liquid from one to the other; young man resting his hands on a teardrop shield, beside a fir-tree, looking left; mounted on a wooden display stand. 1.08 kg total, 48.5 cm wide including stand



Acquired Delchar, London, 2011. Private collection, Suffolk, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12291-221716.

The Bottega degli Embriachi was an important producer of artworks carved in bone (and occasionally ivory) in a framework of inlaid wood. It was active in Northern Italy from circa 1375 A.D. until circa 1433. It relocated from Florence to Venice about 1395. The Bottega was especially known for 'marriage caskets' with tall columnar lids, with carved bone figural panels. Some of the panels here are evidently Christian (the figure with the cross and chalice) while others are perhaps purely symbolic (Justice with sword and scales) and some are simply puzzling (e.g. the three-faced figure with serpents).

Comprising three leather shoe soles with perforations for attachment of the shoe uppers. 256 grams total, 28.5 x 20.5 cm



From the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.

The collectioncomprises a 'family' group: sole of adult male shoe, of adult female shoe and a child's shoe. The Thames is a prolific place for such kind of finds: Tudor soles, large men’s and female soles, petite lady’s soles and the soles from children's shoes. Some of them have been found with an ‘X’ cut into them and several still have the outline of the original owner’s toes.

Comprising: heater shield pendant with reserved saltire; heater shield stud with reserved lion rampant; teardrop shield pendant with reserved lion rampant; lozenge pendant with radiating knops, central circular recess with enamel fill and reserved cinquefoil; T-shaped strap with attachment holes. 28 grams total, 16-60 mm



Found UK. From the collection of a Wiltshire, UK, gentleman, 1990s.