Medieval Silver Ring Brooch

Carved naturalistically in the round as a mature male figure with short wavy hair, full beard and moustache, his brow furrowed and mouth held slightly ajar; repaired. 3.8 kg, 18 cm



Acquired in Europe before 1996. 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.11809-206816.

The head was carved as an image of a saint, Apostle or a prophet. The accomplished and sophisticated style of carving on this head can be compared to some of the most celebrated Romanesque buildings of Southern France. The carving of the head resembles the representations of heads and faces of 12th century French Romanesque art, for example those of Saint Trophime in Arles. This imposing head once served as an important architectural part of a lavishly decorated church, possibly in western France. Its form and the size suggest that the head was not only decorative but that it would have been structurally important – perhaps part of a row of statues of apostles and prophets like those depicted on the Saint Trophime façade.

Inner wooden casket with chamfered rim and separate lid, encased within rectangular gilt-bronze panels with enamel decoration, four gilt-bronze stud feet to the underside; the lid with three nimbate figures, a female saint with palm frond and two flanking figures holding books, all reserved on a blue field with interstitial polychrome rosettes; Side A: nimbate bearded bust of Christ in Majesty with right hand in gesture of benison, left hand supporting a book, flanked by two winged nimbate angels; Side B: nimbate bust of a winged angel in a roundel; Side C: geometric repeating pattern of lozenges with floral fill; Side D: mirror image of Side B. 760 grams, 14.5 cm



John Pierpont Morgan, New York, and London, until 1917. Private collection, Suffolk. Accompanied by a copy of a previous four page illustrated cataloguing document with references. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12039-212154.

The two end-panels are believed to have been added at a later date than the longer panels and may have been trimmed slightly along the lower edges. The panels are attached with domed pins of various types.

Carved with flat topped and rolled rim, tiered acanthus leaf detailing with vertical fluting. 41 kg, 42 cm wide



with Gros & Delettrez, 8 December 2006, no.23.