Medieval Knight's Gilt Bronze Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant

Niello plaque depicting the marriage ceremony between Mary and Joseph, set in a gilt brass mount with a rope twist border, four loops for attachment. 10.8 grams, 46 mm



Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the Belgian art market.

Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver and lead. It is used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens and flows or is pushed into the engraved lines in the metal. Men began wearing hat ornaments on their caps from the late fifteenth century, which could be either purely decorative or symbolic. Symbolic examples are traditionally known as enseignes, as they conveyed the wearer’s personal intent or a visible message. These jewels trace their origins to the medieval pilgrim badge, usually mass-produced in base metal. It is believed that this fashion shift to a stylish male accessory began when French king Charles VIII entered Naples in February 1495, wearing a gold circular jewel on his cap, while his men had similar, though not gold, jewels on their caps or sleeves. Italians quickly adopted this trend, which then spread to most European courts. However, this fashion declined in the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century, giving way to the popularity of aigrettes.

Featuring a sub-circular integral bezel decorated with an eight-armed Maltese cross with some incised decoration in its foils and a sub-circular border with traces of enamel in the field; the moulded shoulders bordered by a long triangle terminating with a long sub-oval indentation, slightly raised and decorated with two parallel lines and two circles with lines through the middle, possibly a stylised letter 'G', the shoulders tapering slightly to the narrowest section of the now straightened narrow and undecorated band. 1.21 grams, 18.40 mm overall, 16.62 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L 1/2, USA 6, Europe 11.87, Japan 11)



Found Dummer, Basingstoke and Deane, Hampshire, UK; declared as Treasure under the Treasure Act and disclaimed. Accompanied by a copy of a letter explaining that the Crown’s interest in this find has been disclaimed. Accompanied by a copy of the Report on find of Potential Treasure for H M Coroner no.2023 T292. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.HAMP-463CD7.

This motif is symbolic of membership in an Order of Knights Hospitaller, such as the Order of St John. In England, these Knights ceased to hold property after 1540 and the English Reformation. This suggests that the ring is from the earlier part of the sixteenth century. However, the letter 'G' is a prominent symbol of Freemasonry, where it typically stands for Geometry and/or God, the 'Grand Architect of the Universe'.

With voided lozenge bow, tubular shaft with scooped forward end, split ward with bits. 46.8 grams, 10.6 cm



Found Norfolk, UK.