Post Medieval Silver Cross Pendant

A life-size marble upper body of a young female figure, likely the goddess Venus, shrouded in a palla mantle worn over the robe and draped over the head as a hood; the left arm bent to form folds and gatherings in the cloth, the right arm shown beneath the cloth held bent to the right breast. 133 kg, 84 cm high



French collection, 1960s-early 2000s. From an important Paris gallery, France. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11687-199355.

In Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess of love, sex, beauty and fertility. Married to the god Vulcan, Venus' principal divine lover was Mars, with whom she was famously trapped in bed with a net by Vulcan. The goddess also had numerous mortal lovers - Adonis for example. The earliest known appearance of a temple dedicated to Venus was founded on the Aventine Hill in 295 B.C. She is most closely associated with the month of April, the beginning of the season of spring.

A large bifacial wooden hand cross with engraved interlace borders and stylised flowers around crosses to one side, and blessing inscriptions in Ge'ez to the other framed by foliage; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 500 grams, 29 cm high (43 cm high including stand)



Acquired from Owen Hargreaves, 2003. UK private collection.

Ethiopian crosses, called in Amharic Maskal are divided into four main types: a) handcrosses, which can be large (22 to 53 cm) or small (14 to 21cm); b) processional crosses, usually measuring 22-60cm; c) pectoral or neck crosses, measuring 1-10cm; d) apex or architectural crosses, measuring 50-150cm. Our maskal belongs to the large hand cross category, probably of Havaria group, most common in the Shoa and Gojam provinces. The inscription reads from top to bottom: Sdar Alazar (name of locality) – Egzten nute mäsqäl (cross) on the left side, and Egzten Jesus (on the right side) followed by Adoneh Gavriil – Welde Hannah – Welde Michail. The cross invokes the blessing of God through the three Saints Hannah, Michael, Gabriel, who can be also the names related to the family of the priest who once owned the cross.

A naturalistic bust of a young female figure modelled facing, wearing a thin band in her cropped hair, deep folds in her garments; hollowed to reverse of base. 19 kg total, 41 cm high including stand



English private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11680-199822