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LOT 1728
Merovingian Child's Ring with Cross
CIRCA 600-700 A.D.
3/4 in. (1.07 grams, 19.18 mm overall, 16.41 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)).
Comprising a slender flat-section hoop with a raised circular bezel with incuse cross potent. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000.
From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Hadjadj, R., Bagues Merovingiennes - Gaul du Nord, Paris, 2007, item 149, for type.
FootnotesThe ring belongs to Type 4b of Hadjadj classification. The image is a clear early Christian motif. A considerable proportion of rings found in the graves show portraits, names or monograms, and emblems such as the cross, the fish, the dove, i.e. early Christian symbols, most of these have the designs cut in a metal bezel.
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AUCTIONS:
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Langobardic Gold Bishop's Ring Bezel with Large Amethyst
7th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £15,600
Square-section inverted pyramid bezel with ornamented faces, set with a polished amethyst pebble; restored hoop, flanked by outward-facing birds with hooked beaks and large ring-and-dot eyes; keeled decorative hoop with three integral collars at the base. 11.38 grams, 34.70 mm overall, 17.74 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M 1/2, USA 6 1/4, Europe 13.09, Japan 12)
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12983-245992.
The Langobards (or Lombards) were a Germanic people who invaded and ruled much of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774 AD. Their kingdom, known for its fusion of Germanic and Byzantine artistic traditions, persisted until the Carolingian conquest under Charlemagne. A Bishop’s ring is a large, often ornate ring worn by bishops as a symbol of their office and spiritual authority. Traditionally, it signifies the bishop’s commitment to the Church and is considered a mark of his episcopal dignity. -
Merovingian Bronze Ring with Scrolls
6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Wide hoop with a raised boss at the base of the hoop, wide bezel with incuse scrolls. 6.36 grams, 23.31 mm overall, 17.40 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Found Oxfordshire, UK. Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The ring belongs to the Type 1d of Hadjadj classification, with wide shoulders and a ribbon-like bend to form a bezel engraved with a simple monogram with a pattern borrowed from the Celtic and Germanic iconography. The lateral decoration with vertical lines was arranged in symmetrical parts. -
Large Gothic Silver-Gilt Fibula
Bosphorean Culture, 5th century A.D.Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,750
Comprising: a semi-circular headplate with a ram-head knop at the apex and applied gilt projections at the sides forming part of the spring mechanism; deep keeled bow with a petalled finials; keeled subrectangular footplate with a rounded finial and a tapering catchplate below. 67 grams, 20.7 cm
L. De Clercq collection, Belgium, 1980s. Ex private European collection. 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 number no. 13013-246783.
These types of fibulae were mainly found in female burials and were placed on the right side of the chest and on the left shoulder. It was from this period that the custom of wearing wide belts with buckles and a pair of brooches on the shoulders spread along the south-western Black Sea coast, having originated among the Germanic tribes of the western Roman provinces.
