Post Medieval Gold 'Let This Vs Tie Vntil We Die' Posy Ring

A shell cameo portraying the draped and cuirassed bust of a Roman soldier facing left, wearing a helmet; attached to an agate backed gilt copper-alloy setting. 4.97 grams, 24 mm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

A bifacial wooden cross comprising intertwined elements with trefoil finials, resting on a tall stem decorated with wavy lines enclosed within a geometric frame, the stem resting on a tabula with an inscription on the front and vegetal decorative element on the back, rhomboidal termination with inscribed cross on both sides; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 600 grams, 43 cm high (50.7 cm high including stand)



Acquired from Owen Hargreaves, 2003. UK private collection.

The Ethiopian manual cross is usually divided in three parts: the cross at the top; the handle; and a square element, the tablet, at the base. It is not easy to define the origin of the cross-borne tablets. There are three suppositions as to what they signify: according to one, the tablet represents the earth with its four corners. According to the second one, the tablet represents Adam's grave on Calvary. The third one is that it represents the Tabot, the highest relic of Ethiopia, the Ark of the Covenant. The cross belongs to the Kernebege (Horns of Ram) group, where the tips of the cross are reminiscent of ram's horns or trefoils. Inscriptions are only very rarely found on wooden, manual crosses like this maskal. They usually give the name of the owner or donor.

A small icon from a Deesis, tempera on wood, depicting Mary on a gilt background inclining her head to the right, wearing a maphorion embroidered with gold stars, blue veil and a chiton of same colour; the reverse with a painted red cross with Greek lettering 'IC XI N K' for 'Jesus Christ is winner'. 554 grams, 20.2 x 16.5 cm

Gilding minimally worn, the border minimally restored; very fine condition.

Property of a London lady, part of her family's 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 searcher certificate no.11571-198600.

This splendid specimen comes most probably from a large icon, where it was part of a Deesis. The image implies that the original icon represented Christ flanked by the Mother of God and John the Baptist, all three usually represented as a full figure. The Deisis or Deesis (Деисус, Gk. for “supplication”) was the depiction of the Virgin, John the Baptist and possibly many more saints interceding with Christ on behalf of mankind.