Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1806
Medieval Limestone 'Pictish Type' Fish Carving
CIRCA 15TH-16TH CENTURY A.D. OR EARLIER
20 in. (24 kg total, 51 cm wide including stand).
Rectangular block with high-relief carving to the upper face, comprising two fishes placed side-by-side, one with heavy scale detailing, the other with a bifurcated tail; mounted on a custom-made display stand. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Discovered in part of a stone garden wall during demolition.
Ex Stamford deceased estate, Lincolnshire, UK.
Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Footnotes
The carving style bears similarities to the low-relief carvings on Pictish picture stones, although a close match for the subject matter is absent. A stone recorded at Dunnicaer, Scotland, is carved with a fish symbol but its execution is very sparse and linear in comparison with the heavy detailing of the present piece. See Noble, G., The Problem with the Picts, in Current Archaeology, issue 134, June 2020.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Medieval and Other Lead Spindle Whorl Collection
Circa 12th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Comprising mainly biconical and conical spindle whorls, some with impressed decoration. 1.15 kg total, 21-34 mm
Found Yorkshire, UK. From the private collection of Robin Sykes, Yorkshire, UK, formed since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Medieval Knight's Heraldic Red Enamelled Bronze Roundel with Silver Unicorn
15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
A heavily patinated silver plate with red enamel field and reserved unicorn couchant among quatrefoils; pierced for suspension. 12.29 grams, 42 mm
From a Northants, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The design appears to be based on the 'Maid and the Unicorn' tapestry now in the Cluny Museum, Paris, dated to circa 1500 A.D. The field of the tapestry is strewn with numerous flowers which gives the name 'millefleurs' ('thousand flowers') to the type. -
Medieval and Other Lead Spindle Whorl Collection
Circa 12th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Comprising mainly biconical and conical spindle whorls with some weights, some displaying impressed decoration. 1.28 kg total, 18-33 mm
Found Yorkshire, UK. From the private collection of Robin Sykes, Yorkshire, UK, formed since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
