Migration Period Bronze Fragment Group

Comprising a slender hoop and an oval bezel with an incuse image of a stylised horse. 3.53 grams, 18.72 mm overall, 16.18 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 10.58, Japan 10)



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 4b of Hadjadj classification, i.e. rings with a sinuous profile and thick head. The image on the bezel is reminiscent of horse motifs linked to the Romano-Celtic mythology, although the horse was a known pattern in the Germanic legends as well.

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.

Comprising a D-section hoop expanding at the shoulders, an oval bezel with a stylised fish flanked by linear motifs. 5.72 grams, 25.40 mm overall, 19.14 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)



Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

The German tribes who settled inside the Roman Empire were great wearers of rings; archaeological discoveries show that these ornaments were worn by adults and children of both sexes. The number of graves excavated in Gaul and Germany is large, and the material for comparative study is extensive. A considerable proportion of rings are signets, with 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.