Loading, please wait...
LOT 0360
Medieval Knight's Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant with Royal Hunting Scene
13TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (11.36 grams, 38 mm).
Quatrefoil-type with integral loop and broad lobes; niello surface with reserved image of a bowman (right) with arrow nocked and one arm bent, advancing towards a stag (left) with tined antlers, an arrow having pierced it through the neck; scene divided by a median vertical tree with three radiating boughs.
ProvenanceFound by Robert Wiseman in Longdon, Worcestershire, UK, circa 2015, next to a trackway leading to St John the Baptist church that was built by the military order of the Knights Hospitaller in the 12th century.
Recorded with Mark Lodwick of the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of the hard-backed book: Eldersfield, "Knights & Pilgrims", where this pendant is published on p.18 under the section titled "The Sport of Kings".
LiteratureSee BON, F.X. & PERES, A. Heraldic Harness Pendants in Revue française d’héraldique et de sigillographie 2025-1, février 2025 for discussion of type; Saunders, P.& E. (eds) Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum Medieval Catalogue Part 1, Salisbury, 1991, p.21, 25.
FootnotesDescribed by Phil Parkes, the conservator at the National Museum of Wales, as the best of its type that he had ever seen or worked on to clean and preserve, in 30 years.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0360
Medieval Knight's Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant with Royal Hunting Scene
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
-
Very Large Medieval 'Cheltenham' Bronze Signet Glove Ring
15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
D-section hoop and disc bezel with 'R' between fronds; attached to a collector's card with sample seal impression and legend 'N[ea]r Cheltenham 1865'. 11.50 grams total, 27.57 mm overall, 22.36 mm internal diameter (approximate size British X, USA 11 1/2, Europe 26.29, Japan 25)
Found near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK, in 1865. From the collection of Dame Joan Evans (1893-1977), thence gifted during her lifetime to a gentleman collector friend from South East England.
Dame Joan Evans, DBE, FSA, FRHistS, enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an author and historian. She was appointed the president of the Society of Antiquaries in 1959, the first woman to hold this position, serving until 1964. From 1948 to 1951, Joan Evans served as President of the Royal Archaeological Institute. She received the Society’s gold medal in 1973. Joan Evans was honoured with a host of honorary degrees and fellowships, as well as fellowships of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Literature. She was a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur, and was appointed a Dame of the British Empire in 1976. She served as a trustee of both the London and the British museums, and as a member of the advisory council of the Victoria and Albert Museum. -
Medieval Bronze Ring with Warrior
11th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
D-section hoop with a raised dicoid bezel bearing an image of a stylised warrior on a pelletted field. 4.62 grams, 19.42 mm overall, 14.83 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G 1/2, USA 3 1/2, Europe 5.55, Japan 5)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
These banded rings, made of bronze sheet with a flattened ellipsoidal head, could be decorated with geometric or animal ornaments executed by shallow carving. In this circumstance, the bezel is decorated with a stylised image, most probably of Archangel Michael, who was asked for protection and blessing. -
Eastern Medieval Bronze Ring with Zoomorphic Design
11th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Slender hoop with expanding shoulders, a discoid bezel with incuse horse-head and the head of a rider behind, crescent above. 5.62 grams, 20.53 mm overall, 15.29 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G 1/2, USA 3 1/2, Europe 5.55, Japan 5)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
These banded rings, made of bronze sheet with a flattened ellipsoidal bezel, could be decorated with geometric or animal ornaments executed by shallow carving. The animal repertoire was borrowed from the contemporary Romanesque art.
