Sasanian Style Gold Ring with Cupid and Chariot

Vibrant red carnelian intaglio skilfully carved with a bust of a mature man in three-quarter view, gazing right, wearing a wide-collared, buttoned tunic and a cap, long curly hair framing his bearded face with a deeply furrowed forehead; set in a gold frame with an amphora-like looped handle; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 11.72 grams, 33 mm



Acquired on the European art market.

Edward Burch (1730–1814) was a distinguished English gem engraver and miniaturist, celebrated for his intricate craftsmanship and artistic versatility. A founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768, Burch gained acclaim for his engraved gemstones, which often depicted classical and mythological themes, reflecting the neoclassical style of the Georgian era. His skill in miniature painting further demonstrated his artistic range and mastery of detail. Highly respected in his time, Burch’s works remain admired for their technical precision and elegance, preserving his legacy as a key figure in 18th-century British art. Inigo Jones (1573–1652) was a pioneering English architect who is widely regarded as the first significant figure to introduce the principles of Renaissance architecture to England. Influenced by his studies in Italy and the works of Andrea Palladio, Jones designed elegant structures characterised by classical symmetry, proportion, and restraint. His most famous works include the Banqueting House at Whitehall, the Queen’s House in Greenwich, and contributions to the layout of Covent Garden. Jones’s adoption of Palladian ideals marked a departure from the Gothic style that had dominated English architecture, laying the foundation for subsequent developments in the Classical tradition.

A heavy medallion bearing the profile bust of Maria Magdalena of Austria (1587-1629), cast from a medal by Guillaume Dupré, circa 1613; pierced twice through the edge for mounting. 93 grams, 76 mm



Private collection, UK.

Maria Magdalena of Austria (1587-1629) was the Archduchess of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and wife of Cosimo II de’ Medici (1589-1636).

A finely executed devotional pendant in the form of a Latin cross, worked in high-carat gold and elaborately decorated on both sides; the obverse set with twelve table-cut almandine garnets, each enclosed within raised rub-over collets and inset with finely painted polychrome enamel scene depicting symbols of the Arma Christi, the Instruments of the Passion, including the scourge, hammer and pincers, the column of flagellation, rooster, dice, crown of thorns, and other emblematic motifs; the upper terminal with black enamel and bearing a gilt inscription 'INRI', an abbreviation of 'Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum' for 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'; the reverse with guilloché enamel in translucent green and opaque white, forming a cross with stylised foliate terminals; the pendant retaining its original integral suspension loop; some restoration on the enamel. 4.06 grams, 43 mm



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13403-257997.

This pendant typifies early 17th-century German devotional jewellery, in which vivid enamelwork and miniature Passion iconography converge in portable, contemplative forms of piety.