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LOT 2374
Post Byzantine Adoration of the Magi Shell Plaque
17TH-18TH CENTURY A.D.
2 5/8 in. (30.2 grams, 68 mm).
Octagonal in plan with carved scene of the Adoration of the Magi with star above; stepped border, pierced for attachment.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Cf. for similar plaques the ones adorning the covers of the Gospels in Popescu, G.A., Cristiani d'Oriente, spiritualità, arte e potere nell'Europa Post-Bizantina, Milano, 1999, fig.3.
FootnotesThe flat relief and the stylistic refinement of the images place the execution of the plaque towards the end of the 17th century, with some artistic parallels with the Romanian silversmiths of Chiprovatzi.
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:
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LOT 2374
Post Byzantine Adoration of the Magi Shell Plaque
Estimate £120 - 170€140 - 200 (for guidance only)$160 - 230 (for guidance only)
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Chinese Tang Style Terracotta Horse
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Hollow-formed, standing erect with mane swept back from the brow; separate saddle and blanket with traces of pigment; tail extended to rear, repaired. 3.95 kg, 40.7 cm high
Acquired on the UK art market. -
Western Asiatic Style Lapis Lazuli Bead Necklace String
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Composed of large coin-shaped feature beads interspersed with cylindrical beads and granulated metal collars,a large drop-shaped pendant at the centre; restrung. 25 grams, 32.5 cm
Ex London, UK, art market 1990s. -
Mizoram Burmese Amber Bead Necklace with Natural Inclusions
Cretaceous Period, circa 99 million years B.P.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Restrung necklace of dark honey-coloured beads of cylindrical and annular shape formed by hand, containing various organic inclusions. 54 grams, 82 cm
From the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. Acquired in Assam in the 1980s. From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from Dr Andrew J. Ross FRES, of the National Museum of Scotland, concerning testing carried out on the necklace.
Dr Ross states: 'The internal fractures and flow planes are consistent with what you see in amber, and although it does not contain any identifiable insect inclusions, the organic fragments that are present and the general colours appear consistent with Burmese amber.'
