Romano-Celtic Bronze Ring with Standing Lion

Each with round-section bow, slender pin with coiled spring, some with knob finial and catch. 26.9 grams total, 27-64 mm



Ex property of an Essex, UK, gentleman collector. From the private collection of a Colchester, UK, gentleman.

Modelled in the half-round as a male bust with serpent headdress and torc; the hair depicted with a braided outer band framing the face and terminating at the jawline; the brow broad and heavy with raised eyebrows and sunken eye-sockets, narrow nose and small flat mouth; fleshy cheeks and chin; the slender neck with V-shaped collar or torc; the shoulders and chest with a slot to the lower edge to accept a gerrous insert; at the apex a S-curved crest extending to the rear and terminating in a narrow loop. 51.28 grams, 47 mm



Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman.

The format, workmanship and proportions of the piece recall a number of Gallic images of Iron Age date. The slanting eye sockets below a heavy brow appear, for example, on the idol from Neuvy Pailloux (Boucher, item 47), as does the collar with a centrepiece below the chin on the same item. The thick band of hair appears on a bronze figurine from Neuvy-en-Sullias (Boucher, item 55) and several others (e.g. items 56, 71), but its placement and curvature also suggest a ram's horns. The curved crest may represent a serpent, or more likely the neck of a swan or goose, as seen in a figure of Mars from Chaudon (Rolland, item 24; Boucher, item 69). The likely function of the piece is difficult to determine since it is too short to form an effective handle or hilt for a dagger, yet the width of the slot (about 1.mm) suggests that it was meant to accept a thin iron sheet. It is possible that the piece was intended to be a decorative mount for the rim of a bowl or cauldron.

Modelled as a bridled and saddled bull, naturalistically rendered with well-defined facial planes, lending a vivid and expressive character to the figure; the edge of the saddle adorned with a delicate row of incised circles, broad hollowed out hooves. 48.6 grams, 54 mm long



Frank Sternberg collection, Zurich, 1980s. Private collection, acquired from Frank Sternberg in 1992. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss register certificate, dated 29 March 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12729-234223.

The statuette likely served as a votive offering (ex-voto) at a sanctuary or temple, and closely parallels numerous Iberian examples recovered from sacred sites in Alicante, Valencia, and particularly in Andalusia. In Iberian culture, the bull was a potent symbol of strength, virility, and martial power—frequently associated with warrior deities. The inclusion of a saddle and bridle suggests domestication, and it is plausible that such animals, being more docile than horses, may have been ridden or equipped in ritual or ceremonial contexts.